#places to visit in europe 4k

[jounetyfinder]

100 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Europe 2023 | Must See Europe Travel Guide

100 Most beautiful Places to visit in Europe 2023. Some of the best places to visit in Europe 2023 is right here in this travel video. source

[bruhnze]

Vacationnn - Lucy x Ona

Summary: Lucy wants to go to the Philippines and Ona agrees to go there over Christmas break.

Warnings: this is a fanfiction, this is fake, this is a made up story. A good old smut fic. Fluff. Smut. Minors DNI. Maybe a bit long build up, but i just can't help myself :) Ona being a brat. I repeat long-winded and wordy (the smut too). PART ONE NO SMUT YET BUT PT 2 IS BASICALLY ALL SMUT.

Words: ~4k

Written based on a request from @pinkygirl28 <3.

“Christmas in the Philippines?”

Ona had paused for just a moment when Lucy first suggested it. With both of them balancing their careers, with Ona playing for Barcelona and Lucy for Chelsea, it wasn’t easy to find time together. But she usually visited her family during the holidays. After some consideration she figured she would just do that before and after. A week away with Lucy was too good to pass up on, actually just a week would´ve been enough for her but Lucy really wanted to go to the Philippines, she had wanted it for a while now.

Once they’d booked everything during their next FaceTime call, Ona couldn’t stop thinking about it. The warm sun, the beaches, and most importantly, an entire week alone together. She couldn’t wait.

..

Finally, December had arrived, and with it, the long-awaited holiday break. Ona still remembered the excitement in their last few calls, packing their suitcases over FaceTime, laughing about how excited they both were for some nice weather, and the late-night conversation the night before they were finally going to see each other again.

The next day, Ona had flown from Spain to England first, meeting Lucy there, from where they boarded their flight to the Philippines.

It had been a while since they’d last seen each other in person, and though it felt bittersweet being in public for their reunion, the privacy of their first-class seats allowed for a few stolen kisses and lingering touches.

The, more then 16-hour flight, had been long but in some way it was nice. They had time to catch up, to talk about everything the other had missed while they weren’t together. They whispered quietly, holding hands around the divider between their seats.

But eventually, fatigue started to set in. Lucy had fallen asleep somewhere over the Pacific, her fingers still intertwined with Ona’s even in her sleep.

Ona, though exhausted, couldn’t seem to settle. She watched a series on her screen, glancing over at Lucy from time to time, smiling softly at how peaceful she looked. It had been a long flight and she felt exhausted, but seeing Lucy so relaxed made her happy anyways.

When they finally landed, the humid warmth of the Philippines wrapped around them like a welcome embrace, a sharp contrast to the biting cold of Europe.

Lucy had taken the lead in collecting their suitcases and getting the two of them to their destination.

They first took a cab to a little harbor, from where they sailed for about thirty minutes and then they had another car waiting for them. This time not a cab, but a car with a staff member from the resort, welcoming them heartily.

Lucy was still focused during the last part of their travels, paying attention to everything that was said and done, though Ona could see the soft glow of affection in her eyes each time she glanced over.

Eventually Ona dozed off against the window, lulled by the steady hum of the car and the hand on her leg that reminded her of Lucy’s presence beside her.

After about forty five minutes later they reached the villa. The sun was high in the sky. The villa was perfect, it was private, serene, tucked between lush greenery and with a glimpse of the ocean in the distance. It was the kind of place that felt like a dream, a perfect escape from the busy lives they led.

Exhaustion from the long journey hit them both as soon as they stepped inside and Lucy suggested for them to take a nap before dinner, knowing Ona hadn’t slept much during the flight.

Ona stifled a yawn and nodded, too tired to even think about anything else. They set their bags down and agreed to set an alarm, just enough time to recharge before the evening but not ruin their sleep for the night.

As they laid down, they instinctively curled against each other, their bodies fitting together as if no time had passed. The rustling of palm trees outside and the gentle hum of the air conditioning added to the peaceful atmosphere. Ona rested her head on Lucy’s chest, breathing in the scent she had missed so much and within minutes, she drifted off.

..

The alarm went off far too soon for Ona’s liking, she groaned in protest as the piercing sound dragged her from sleep. Face pressed against the pillow, she stubbornly resisted, not ready to leave the comfort of the bed.

Lucy, on the other hand, turned off the alarm with a quick tap and stretched lazily.

When she noticed Ona’s unwillingness to move, a chuckle escaped her lips. She rolled over and wrapped her arms around her grumpy girlfriend, pulling her close.

Without warning, Lucy launched a playful attack, peppering Ona’s face with kisses, on her forehead, cheeks, nose, anywhere she could reach.

When Ona didn’t budge she placed some kisses in her neck, whispering in her ear. "It’s alright, bebe. We’ll grab dinner and then you can crawl right back into bed."

"I don’t want dinner," Ona murmured, fighting to free herself from Lucy’s antics.

Lucy chuckled. "Ah come on babe, remember that we’ve got Christmas with 25-degree weather while everyone back home are freezing their tits off, especially in England." She chuckled in Ona’s ear, still tightly holding her close. Acting as if Ona’s squirming wasn’t happening.

Her light tone, combined with the reminder of their tropical paradise, tugged a reluctant smile from Ona’s lips. As much as she wanted to stay in bed forever, Lucy made her give in, even if it was begrudgingly.

"Alright," she grumbled, turning around and weakly pushing Lucy away, though there was a spark of happiness back in her voice. ‘’Let’s go then.’’

..

Their first evening was peaceful. After a simple yet delicious dinner at a local restaurant, Ona's fatigue won out. She was practically begging Lucy to go back to their villa and come to bed early with her.

"Please, Luce," Ona murmured, when they barely stepped foot back in the house. ‘’Can you come to bed too?’’

Lucy was not really one to go to sleep early, but she agreed and followed her girlfriend into the bedroom anyways, because nights together where sacred now that they lived apart.

After getting ready for the night they got in bed and Ona settled on top of her, falling asleep almost instantly with her head nestled on Lucy’s chest.

Lucy felt contend, holding her girlfriend close with one arm tracing slow, soothing patterns across Ona’s back. She stayed awake a bit longer, scrolling through her phone with the other hand, but her attention was mostly on the weight of Ona resting peacefully against her.

It wasn’t long before Lucy also fell asleep, lulled by the steady rhythm of Ona’s breathing and maybe because she was secretly pretty tired from the trip too.

..

The next morning, Ona stirred first, woken up by the shadows that disrupted the sun shining directly in her face. She was blinking groggily as she sat up in bed, leaning against the headboard.

She watched as a worker in a neat blouse and apron quietly entered their little private garden outside.

The worker placed a basket on the table without so much as glancing toward the bedroom, respectful of their privacy. But Ona made a mental note to close the curtains next time, they had forgotten to close them last night.

Next to her, Lucy began to stir now too. With a sleepy groan, she reached out instinctively, looking for Ona in her half awake state. Her hand found Ona’s legs instead, and Lucy clumsily bumped her head against Ona's hip.

"Oh," Lucy mumbled, half-asleep, but when she realized what had happened, she laughed softly and kissed Ona’s leg instead of the face she had expected.

"Good morning," Ona chuckled, watching as Lucy rolled back and stretched languidly across the bed, her long limbs sprawled out.

"Good morning," Lucy replied, her voice husky with sleep, a smile spreading across her face as she blinked up at Ona. "Did you sleep well?"

Ona reached out to gently brush Lucy's hair from her face, her fingers grazing her forehead. "Mhm, did you?"

"Yeah, slept like a log," Lucy said with a smile. "Have you been awake for long?"

"No, I just woke up," Ona said, glancing toward the garden. "Saw them deliver breakfast a few minutes ago."

At the mention of food, Lucy sat up, her expression lighting up. "Mmm, breakfast," she hummed, stretching again. Ona couldn’t help but laugh at how predictable Lucy was when it came to food.

"I'm curious what breakfast here is like," Ona said, "in the Philippines."

Lucy rolled out of bed, her energy already returning at the thought of food. "Well, let’s find out," she replied, flashing Ona a bright, eager grin.

The villa was perfect, but their little outdoor area might have been even better. A private pool glistening under the morning sun, there was an outdoor shower, sunbeds, and a small table with two chairs. Tall walls and greenery surrounded the space around them, creating a cocoon of privacy.

Even though the resort was already tucked away, with just a couple villas spread out across a big private piece of land, the seclusion of this space made it feel especially intimate. It made it seem like the rest of the world was far, far away.

The air outside was already warm and welcoming as they sat down to breakfast, the soft sounds of nature around them. It truly felt like vacation.

Unlike their usual vacations full of activities like cooking classes or tours, this trip was different. It was meant for relaxation. They had only planned dinners, with a special one on Christmas Day.

They had planned this to be a ‘chill by the pool’ type of vacation. Though knowing them, a bit of adventure, a hike or maybe kayaking, probably would sneak in at some point. But relaxation was the goal.

Lucy took the lead and unpacked the breakfast basket. "Uff, this looks amazing," she said, laying out fried rice, eggs, fresh mango, and a variety of other dishes. She set the empty basket aside and sat down.

Ona nodded in agreement. They’d pulled their chairs close together, but as Lucy glanced over at Ona next to her, she wanted her even closer. She reached out, tracing fingers gently along her back as Ona was adding pieces of fruit to both their plates.

With a piece of mango on her fork, Ona turned to Lucy and fed her, watching as Lucy happily accepted the bite. Ona took a piece herself, humming in delight at the sweet taste of the mango.

Lucy looked at her adoringly. "D'you want to sit on my lap?" she asked, chuckling at herself for her silly question.

Ona raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at her lips. "Now?"

Lucy nodded. "If you want..."

Ona chuckled. "Is someone feeling a little clingy?"

"Mhm," Lucy admitted without hesitation. "I’ve missed you."

Ona’s teasing attitude shifted to tenderness, her gaze softening. "Aww Luce" She set down her fork and, without hesitation, climbed onto Lucy's lap, facing her.

Lucy welcomed her with open arms, her hands instinctively resting on Ona’s ass. "Hmm, perfect," she said with a grin. "But wouldn’t it be easier the other way around?"

"I’ll turn around in a bit," Ona whispered.

"But first?" Lucy asked, smiling cheekily, seeing Ona eying her lips.

"First, a kiss." Ona leaned in with a smile. "I’ve missed you too."

Their lips met in a sweet, lingering kiss. It wasn’t rushed. Both of them savoring the moment.

When they finally pulled apart, Lucy rested her forehead against Ona’s, smiling.

"I love you," Ona whispered, her fingers lightly brushing Lucy’s jawline.

"I love you too," Lucy murmured back, her hands comfortably settled on Ona’s hips. "I’m so happy we have some time together."

‘’Mhm, me too.’’ Ona smiled and gave her another quick kiss before sliding off Lucy’s lap, and sitting back down, now facing the breakfast. She shifted to sit sideways so Lucy could reach her food as well.

They happily ate their breakfast, taking in the scenery around them.

As Ona put another piece of fruit into her mouth, she glanced over at the pool, then beyond it, to where she could hear the faint sound of waves coming from and saw bright blue water and white sand.

"What do you think about going to the beach after breakfast?" Ona asked. "It’s so close. Do you think we are aloud to swim there?"

Lucy nodded eagerly between bites. ‘’Mhm, you can swim there, it’s part of the resort."

‘’You want to go?’’

‘’Yeah, sounds good.’’

Ona leaned back against Lucy, smiling. "It feels good to have days without plans for a change."

"Yeah," Lucy agreed, pressing a soft kiss to Ona’s temple. Lucy hummed as she lingered, placing soft kiss after soft kiss to the soft skin of her adorable girlfriends face. "I can’t wait to see you in those bikinis you packed," she murmured with a grin.

Ona turned her head and leaned in, smiling. Her hands moving up to cradle Lucy’s head as their lips met.

Her fingers slipped into the loose strands beneath Lucy’s bun, and with a small shift on Lucy´s lap, she deepened the kiss. Desire stirred inside her as she felt Lucy’s hands roaming her body, reminding her just how long it had been since they’d been close like this.

"You know," Lucy mumbled against her lips, "if we keep this up, we’ll never make it to the beach."

Ona pulled back slightly, biting her lip as she eyed Lucy´s lips when she spoke. "Maybe that’s not such a bad thing."

Lucy chuckled but leaned back in her chair, tilting her head. "Didn’t you want to go to the beach?"

Instead of voicing the desire stirring in her mind, Ona decided she’d rather make Lucy feel the same, she wanted Lucy to want her too. With a mischievous smile, she kissed Lucy once more before pulling back and turning her attention to breakfast. "Yeah, mhm" she said casually, as if nothing had changed. ‘’I want to go the beach..’’

To Ona’s frustration, Lucy seemed to not pick up on how she felt. She almost seemed unbothered, calmly continuing her meal as though nothing had changed. Pressing a kiss to Ona’s shoulder every now then.

Once they’d finished eating, they cleaned up the table together and putt everything back into the basket. As Ona fastened the leather clasps, the soft morning sun bathed her in a golden glow, and Lucy paused to take it in, admiration flickering in her eyes.

Ona noticed and playfully raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing," Lucy said softly. "Just… that you’re gorgeous."

Ona rolled her eyes with a grin, she couldn’t hide how much she loved the compliment. She liked to hear Lucy still found her pretty.

She walked back inside, Lucy following close behind, as they made their way to the bedroom to get ready for the beach.

Lucy opened her suitcase, already knowing what she wanted to wear. She quickly laid her chosen bikini on the bed and started undressing, slipping out of the boxers and sports bra she had slept in.

But Ona had other plans. She grabbed her own clothes from her suitcase and headed toward the bathroom. Getting dressed there to keep Lucy from seeing her bikini just yet.

Lucy was too focused on getting dressed to notice Ona slipping into the bathroom. She was just done putting her clothes on when Ona reappeared, now dressed in loose shorts and a cropped top that showed off a hint of her toned stomach.

"Huh, did you change in the bathroom?" Lucy asked, visibly confused, glancing over to her girlfriend.

"Yeah," Ona replied casually, running a hand through her hair. "I wanted to see how my bikini looked, so I needed the mirror."

Lucy raised an eyebrow, a playful smile forming on her lips. "You could’ve asked me," she teased, stepping closer with a smirk. Wrapping her arms around Ona’s waist, she gave a cheeky squeeze to Ona’s ass, pulling her closer. "If you want, I can do a final check." Her hand slipped under Ona’s shirt, fingers grazing her skin.

Ona smiled. "You’ll see it at the beach," she teased, gently removing Lucy’s hand from under her shirt.

"Mm, okay," Lucy murmured, leaning in for a kiss, but Ona dodged it with a mischievous grin, leaving Lucy hanging.

Lucy huffed in mock frustration, "What’s that for? Can’t I get a kiss?"

"Nope," Ona smirked, playing with Lucy’s fingers. "Maybe later, when you behave better. For now, let’s get our stuff so we can go."

Lucy stared at her, mouth slightly open in disbelief. "Behave better?"

"Mhm," Ona chuckled, planting a soft kiss on Lucy’s cheek. "Like helping me pack, for starters."

With a playful roll of her eyes, Lucy followed Ona’s lead, moving around the room to gather what they needed for the beach. Ona grabbed their tote bag, packing towels, sunglasses, and a few snacks that where left over from the flight. Lucy added a bottle of water and found the sunscreen.

Sliding up behind Ona, Lucy let her fingers trace lightly over Ona’s exposed abs, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. "How about I put on some sunscreen? Protecting you is good behavior, no?"

Ona laughed softly, shaking her head. "You can do it at the beach," she said, her tone firm but teasing as she pulled Lucy’s hands away.

‘’But.. why?’’ Lucy frowned, ‘’is something wrong? I.. what did you mean with behave better? Where you for real? Did I mess something up?’’

Ona didn’t respond right away, she just turned away with a cheeky smile, her eyes beaming with mischief she couldn’t hide.

It wasn’t until Lucy caught the look on Ona’s face, that the realization hit.

Ona was teasing her, she was playing a game. She’d been enjoying it all along. An amused grin spread across Lucy’s face as she realized she’d walked right into it.

Lucy’s eyes narrowed, studying Ona as she casually continued packing the bag, pretending to be innocent.

Biting her lip, Lucy couldn’t help but think about how she was going to handle her girlfriend, who had clearly woken up feeling like a bit of a brat today.

"Alright," Lucy finally said, still thoughtful but her voice lighter now. She watched Ona carefully, slinging the tote bag over her shoulder. The playful gleam in Ona’s eyes confirmed what she already knew. The game was on.

"Let me hold that for you, babe," Lucy offered with a grin.

Ona raised an eyebrow in playful suspicion, but handed over the bag anyway. She knew Lucy had caught on now.

As they headed out, the warmth of the sun greeted them, and the tension between them hung in the air. Walking hand in hand, Ona glanced at Lucy from time to time, noticing her being in her thoughts. But the gentle brush of Lucy’s thumb over hers let Ona know she was contend.

When they arrived at the beach, Lucy and Ona naturally gravitated toward the sunbeds positioned farthest from the others, preferring the bit of privacy it offered.

Lucy immediately pulled off her shirt, revealing her toned body in a way that Ona couldn’t help but roll her eyes at. She knew Lucy well enough to recognize when she was flexing her abs.

After putting her shirt and the bag down, Lucy unrolled the parasol between the beds, securing it in place with ease. Then, after that, she turned to Ona, sunscreen in hand.

"Are you finally ready for me to apply this now that we’re officially on the beach?" Lucy asked, wiggling the bottle playfully.

Ona rolled her eyes dramatically, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "Yes," she said, peeling off her clothes and tossing them onto the bed. Underneath, she was wearing a sleek bikini that hugged her curves just right.

Lucy’s eyes travelled along the freckled skin before she squeezed some sunscreen into her hands.

She started slowly, spreading the cool lotion over Ona’s shoulders and back, her fingers lingering a little too long in certain spots. "Mm, this bikini really looks incredible on you," she murmured as her hands slid down Ona’s arms.

Ona didn’t respond, enjoying the feeling of Lucy’s touch.

Lucy’s fingers grazed the edge of Ona’s bikini top, her lips brushing close as she murmured, "you prefer to go without this, right?" Her voice was teasing, just above a whisper, with a hint of a smirk.

Ona glanced around. Though the beach wasn’t packed, there were still a few couples lounging nearby, and the staff moving about were all fully clothed. She rolled her eyes again, this time at Lucy’s suggestion. "Yeah but it’s not the place or time for that, now" she replied.

Lucy pouted playfully. "Want to head back and sunbathe by our pool, then?"

Ona arched an eyebrow, chuckling. "You just said you liked my bikini and now you want it off." She tutted with disproval.

Lucy grinned, leaning down to kiss her, the kind of kiss that made it clear she wasn’t going to give up easily. But before she could push her luck any further, Ona took the sunscreen from her hand and, with a chuckle, ordered, "Come, take your pants off."

Lucy grinned. "For you? Always," she teased, chuckling about herself as she quickly unbuttoned her shorts and slid them off.

Shaking her head, Ona began rubbing sunscreen onto her silly girlfriend's back.

Her silly, but undeniably hot girlfriend she thought. She bit her lip as her fingers glided over Lucy's skin, feeling the firm muscles beneath her hands, every touch making it harder to stay focused.

Lingering here and there, she eventually was done and noticed Lucy was looking at her with a smirk, if she hadn’t so distracted she might’ve be annoyed by it, but it was only fair. She leaned over to the bag and put the sunscreen back.

With the sunscreen now applied, they both laid down to let it absorb into their skin.

Lucy quickly grew bored, it was hard for her to sit still. She glanced at Ona, who was lounging seemingly relaxed and unbothered.

"I’m going to grab us some drinks," Lucy announced, getting up and heading over to the beach bar.

Ona nodded and called after Lucy about the cocktail she wanted. She watched through her sunglasses, taking in how stunning Lucy looked in her bikini. Her gaze roamed over Lucy's toned legs and the way her sinfully good ass looked as she walked. It was a good thing Ona was wearing shades, hiding her eyes as she admired her girlfriend from afar.

Ona looked back at the water again, taking in the idyllic scenery.

After a while she noticed Lucy’s laughter in the distance. She looked to the bar and watched as she exchanged playful banter with the staff. Lucy's easygoing charm was infectious, and Ona couldn't help but smile at how effortlessly she drew people in. The staff members were clearly enjoying her company.

As Lucy was finally turning around and heading back to the beds Ona notices how the staff’s eyes followed Lucy as she walked, her athletic frame clearly drawing attention. She smirked knowing it was all hers to enjoy.

When Lucy was back, carrying two cocktails, Ona sat up. Lucy leaned down to hand her the drink, and she took it from her with a kiss in return.

They sat sipping their drinks, but Lucy’s energy hadn’t settled. Finishing her cocktail in record time, she stood up, stretching.

"I’m going swimming, see if the temperature is nice. I think it is, cus there’s a few people in, hm" she said, standing next to the bed digging her toes in the sand. ‘’I guess you don’t want to swim yet?’’

“Mhm,” Ona replied, taking another sip of her drink. She was perfectly comfortable, her head resting in the shade while the sun warmed her body.

“Alright, we can go together later.” Lucy said with a smile before heading toward the water.

“Mhm, later,” Ona hummed back, watching Lucy as she made her way to the ocean. Lucy stepped into the water without hesitation, clearly unfazed by the cold.

Ona settled back into her spot, soaking in the sun and enjoying the view of Lucy swimming through the clear, sparkling bright water.

After a while, Lucy noticed Ona was watching her and decided to put on a bit of a show.

She tossed her wet hair back as she emerged from the water, walking toward Ona with her abs flexed just a little harder than usual.

As she reached Ona, she leaned purposefully over her, letting droplets of water fall onto her girlfriend. She pretended to rummage through the bag.

Ona rolled her eyes, but the playful glint in her gaze gave her away. Unable to resist, she cupped the back of Lucy’s neck and pulled her in for a kiss. Lucy grinned into it, satisfied that her teasing had finally worn her down.

When the kiss eventually broke, Lucy smirked. "Mm, that was nice."

"Whatever," Ona muttered, but her flushed cheeks told a different story.

"Come swim with me, the water is nice" Lucy urged, still dripping water. "and tanning goes faster in the water anyways."

Ona chuckled, shaking her head as she looked up at Lucy. "You´re dying for me to swim with you, aren’t you?"

Lucy nodded, reaching out her hand. "Mhm.’’ She smiled her brightest smile. ‘´So can you please please please come with me."

With a playful sigh, Ona gave in, taking Lucy’s hand to let her pull her up before they walked together towards the water.

The ocean was cool against their skin, but it wasn’t long before Lucy’s hands found their way to Ona’s waist, pulling her close offering her some warmth.

Lucy’s body warmth against her in the cool water made Ona shiver slightly, and soon they were chest-to-chest, drifting closer as Lucy leaned in to kiss her.

What started soft quickly turned heated, Lucy’s hands slipping down to grab Ona’s ass, pulling her in tighter. Ona couldn’t help the surge of warmth that spread through her, the feel of Lucy’s strong grip making her head spin. But as much as she loved it, she couldn’t shake the awareness of being so exposed, swimming right in front of the sunbeds.

Reluctantly, Ona pulled back, breathless, her heart racing. "Babe," she murmured, glancing toward the beach. "We’re right infront of people."

Lucy pouted slightly, but her grip loosened. ‘’Mm sorry I got carried away,’’ she said, her voice a little lower, filled with disappointment. "But you’re right."

Not long later they got out of the water again. The swimming not interesting them both in the least.

As they toweled off, Ona caught Lucy’s eye. "Maybe we can walk a bit? I think there’s a smaller beach around that bend, maybe it’s a bit more secluded," she added.

Lucy’s expression lit up. She grinned. "Mm sure, you lead the way."

Grabbing the tote bag with their phones. They slipped their sunglasses back on and began walking hand in hand along the shore.

As they rounded the corner, disappearing from view of the other beachgoers, Ona abruptly stopped, tugging Lucy toward her and crashing their lips together in a heated kiss.

Lucy blinked in surprise, not expecting the sudden intensity. When Ona pulled away after only a few seconds, Lucy chuckled. "You were waiting for that, weren’t you?" she asked, her voice low and breathless.

Ona didn’t answer, she just grabbed Lucy by the waist, pulling her back in, her lips hungrily finding Lucy’s once more. Her hand slid to Lucy’s abs, feeling the hard, toned muscle beneath her palm.

The feeling of Lucy’s body against hers sent a surge of heat rushing through her, making her head swim. Ona's breath hitched, her mind going completely blank as the kiss deepened, her lips parting with a soft moan when Lucy pressed herself against her.

Lucy, sensing the tension rise between them again, grinned against Ona’s mouth. Her hands moved to grip Ona’s ass, squeezing firmly before lifting her effortlessly off the sand. Ona gasped as Lucy backed her up against a nearby palm tree, her legs instinctively wrapping around Lucy’s waist. The tote bag slid from Lucy’s shoulder, landing in the sand, but neither of them cared.

Lucy’s focus was entirely on the woman in her arms, the soft, desperate sounds escaping Ona’s lips driving her wild.

Ona’s hands slid up Lucy’s sides, slipping beneath her bikini top, her fingers brushing over sensitive skin. Her thumbs circling her nipples. It made Lucy shiver, her breath catching as the kiss grew even more heated.

"Babe..." Lucy murmured, barely managing to pull away enough to speak. She chuckled softly, her lips brushing against Ona’s. "We can’t do this out here-"

Ona groaned in frustration, pressing her forehead against Lucy’s, her body still trembling with need. "Then we should head back to the villa," she whispered, her voice thick with desire, ‘’now’’.

They both took a deep breath, laughing breathily as they looked at each other, still flushed and full of tension. Gently Lucy put Ona back on the floor and took the bag from the sand.

Hands interlinked, they walked back to their sunbeds, trying to act casual as they gathered their towels, clothes and slippers. The empty glasses had already been cleared away.

With one last desperate glance at each other, they headed back to the villa.

...

Part 2 :)

masterlists

[mendessi]

dreamland | j.m

pairing: pre+post-outbreak!jolemiller x fem!reader summary: you're dog sitting for your aunt for a couple of weeks who happens to live across the street from a handsome man and his daughter warnings: reader is 24 & joel is 34, slow burn-ish, ill post more as i think, this first chapter is tame,dad!joel, let me know at any time if you think of any, word count: 4k a/n: this will be multiple parts following reader and joel's relationship from pre to post outbreak one | two | three | ... MINORS DNI

june 2002

Summer was always your favorite season. While many made a fuss of the Texas heat, it was something you didn't mind. Summer meant barbecues and days at the lake, spending time with your dad and sister.

"Your Aunt Delilah is going to Europe for the month of June and wants to know if you'd be able to dog sit for her." He asked you one day after hanging up the phone with his sister.

"Pickle would come here or I would go to Austin?" You perked up on the couch. There was no city in Texas that you loved more than Austin, especially when you got to stay in your aunt's cozy home. The city was vibrant and full of life. It's why you chose to go to school there in the first place. Yeah, yeah, the biochem degree you were after was well worth it too. Despite your aunt living there, you'd find any reason to go back to Austin whether school was in session or not.

"You'd go to Pickle." He said. "Her regular sitter is out of town too, so she'd figured you might wanna go."

"She'd figure right." You said standing up from your hole in the couch that had been home for the past several hours. It was a surprise you hadn't molded into it.

"You'd head down Friday, if that's alright with you." He told you and you gave him a thumbs up as you trekked up the stairs. "I'll let her know!"

Thank god you had barely unpacked after returning home from college even though it had been a couple of weeks since you got home. You were still trying to process that this was the last time you'd be coming home from college since you had just graduated. Procrastinating was one thing you were great at that's for sure. The idea of going back to Austin for a month was exciting because again, you loved the city. Visiting your aunt during the summers and for holidays as a kid is what made you fall in love with the city in the first place. Your fate was sealed after your dad and aunt took you to a UT vs A&M game when you were eight years old. Going to games at least once a year with the both of them and your sister had become a tradition of sorts and even more so once you were accepted to attend. Now that you lived there, going to games was a common occasion and your dad would join you on the weekends he was off.

When Friday rolled around you said goodbye to your dad and sister even though they agreed they'd come down to Austin in a couple of weeks to go the lake. The drive was only three hours and it was one you were used to making during the holidays and some weekends to visit home.

Pickle was a golden retriever that despite his old age still had a lot of energy. You had been the one to name Pickle when you were thirteen years old because you had been there when your aunt picked him from the shelter. Pickle was only a puppy that had been dumped on the side of the road and now he was a chubby ten year old boy that somehow still had the same energy as when he was small. He greeted you by clumsily running down the steps as fast as his old bones would let him and wiggled his butt as you bent down to pet him. This dog was your most favorite part about visiting your aunt's.

"You are a literal life saver." Delilah was not far behind Pickle as she engulfed you into a hug.

"Anything for my favorite aunt." You replied, smiling as she squeezed you a bit tighter.

"I'm your only aunt." Delilah may as well have been your mother. She was the only maternal figure you had in your life despite her not having any kids of your own. She was the epitome of "hot, fun aunt you only see at Christmas" but she was almost as present as your own father was. She kind of made you want to be the hot, fun aunt you only see at Christmas to your sister's future kids.

You spent the evening helping your aunt with some last minute packing and then spent dinner over her living room coffee table with a plethora of food from your favorite Asian spot in town.

"I wish I could come with. Texas is so boring." You sighed leaning against the couch, glancing over at the TV that neither of you were paying attention to.

"You love it here." She nudged your shoulder.

"I love it here when my aunt is here and my friends from college didn't all leave after graduation." God you had never felt so full in your life. You definitely had eaten too much but it wasn't something you'd regret in the slightest.

"You'll be just fine." Her hand cupped your face and you leaned into her touch.

The next morning you dropped her off at the airport and then went back home to take a short nap. When you woke up you decided that it was a beautiful, hot day outside and a day at the lake with Pickle sounded nice. It was likely many of your days in Austin would be spent with Pickle by some sort of body of water.

You laughed for a moment at his name, wondering what in the world prompted you as a twelve year old to name this sweet dog Pickle and why in the world Delilah allowed it.

"Should we go down to the lake, buddy?" Rubbing behind his ears, you helped the fat dog step into his harness. After packing your bag with a towel, sunblock and some snacks and water for both you and him, you pulled the front door open.

Pickle was a well trained dog and pretty much never left the yard when the front door was open. But something sparked his interest and he took off running down the front porch steps and across the yard. Dropping everything you held in your hands, you took off running after him, calling his name.

You probably looked like a fucking idiot yelling "Pickle! Pickle, here!" over and over again.

He lead you across the street to the house that used to belong to an elderly couple that Pickle loved because of the obnoxious amount of treats they used to feed him. The elderly couple wasn't there and instead a moving truck was backed into the driveway, a young girl kicking a soccer ball around front.

"Sarah, get up there and start unpacking your room." A man came out of the front door and stumbled backwards as Pickle jumped up onto him.

"Pickle, down!" Your jaw dropped as you finally reached the dog, grabbing a hold of his leash. "I am so sorry!"

"What a pretty dog!" The young girl approached Pickle who was eager for her attention and jumped up to meet her with kisses all over her face.

"I'm so sorry." You said again, pulling Pickle away from the girl but she stepped towards him again.

"Pickle is such a good name for a dog." She laughed.

You finally met the eyes of the girl's father and your breath nearly hitched in your throat at the stunning man standing in front of you. He didn't seem angry at all, just a smile on his face as he watched his daughter interact with the golden fluff ball in front of her.

"Sorry." You said again, this time a little breathless, nerves flooding your body.

Boys hardly made you nervous, in fact all of your friends praised how you were able to flirt with them. But standing in front of you was a man, a very attractive man that scanned your body up and down once over.

You immediately felt embarrassed remembering how you had just ran across the street screaming something about a Pickle and how you were only wearing your jean shorts and a bikini top.

"No, it's no worries at all. He's a friendly pup." He said, looking at his daughter again who was now sitting on the ground with Pickle who was on his back in front of her getting the best belly rubs of his life probably.

"The family that used to live here spoiled him. I didn't realize they sold the house." But boy were you glad they did.

"I'm Joel and this is Sarah. My brother Tommy is inside. Sarah and I are moving in." He held his hand out and you shook it happily, his firm grasp taking you not by surprise. You expected it from a man that looked as strong as he did. "This you across the street?"

"No, actually, it's my aunt's. I'm just dog sitting for the month." You told him. "It's nice to meet you both."

"Well if you, as a dog sitter, ever need someone to dog sit, I will gladly do it." Sarah laughed as she stood up from the grass and began running around the yard with Pickle.

"I'll take you up on the offer. We're actually going down to the lake today." You gave her a smile. "But, if you guys need a hand unloading, I can help?"

"Oh, we have it handled, thanks though." He glanced behind him and then at his daughter before he lowered his voice enough for her not to hear, "I hope to see you around."

Trying not to let your cheeks flush, a small smile crept onto your face. "Likewise."

The next few days you spent at the living room window, watching for Joel to come out of his house. He worked a normal schedule for the most part, but it looked more like he had taken a couple more days off during the week with Sarah on summer break.

You were out in the front yard the following weekend after meeting Joel and Sarah and playing a makeshift game of fetch with Pickle. He hardly liked to chase the ball anymore because of his age so the game was to throw the ball straight into the air and let him try to catch it as it bounced off the ground.

"Hey!" Sarah called your name as she ran across the street with her soccer ball in her hands. "Can I play with you guys?"

"Yeah, absolutely." Sarah tossed the soccer ball onto the ground and began kicking it around the yard between you and Pickle. He probably liked the fact that the soccer ball was bigger and easier for him to play with.

"He's so cute. I keep asking my dad for a dog but he says I'm not responsible enough yet." Sarah said as Pickle kept knocking the ball further and further away from himself and you and Sarah.

"You look pretty responsible to me. How old are you?" You asked her.

"Twelve." She answered you.

"Oh, you're totally responsible enough." You reassured her. "We can just share Pickle in the meantime."

"Did you name him Pickle?" She asked you.

"I did name Pickle." You replied. "It's a goofy name, huh?"

"Just a little. But I think it suits him." She laughed.

"Hey, she bothering you?" Joel was crossing the street and you barely caught yourself pushing your hair off your shoulder. He had Sarah's soccer ball in his hands and Pickle was prancing at his side. He must've knocked the ball into the street as Joel was coming out of the house. Normally you'd be more strict about him going into the street but it was the weekend in summer which meant the cul de sac in which you lived was quiet, hardly anyone coming on and off the street.

"No, we're actually talking about how you guys should also get a dog. You know, Pickle could use a friend." You took the soccer ball from his hands, your fingertips brushing his, your eyes never leaving each other's.

"Nice try." A smile tugged at his lips as he turned to Sarah. "We're not getting a dog."

"Lame."

"C'mon, I need your help with dinner. Uncle Tommy is on his way." Joel said.

"Aw, dad, I wanna hang out with Pickle some more." She huffed as any twelve year old would and it kind of reminded you of yourself.

"Well, maybe, uh... Pickle could join us for dinner? If you don't have any plans." Joel asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"No, no, we're free. If it's not too much trouble." You said. "I can help too."

Sarah didn't end up helping after all, because she was too preoccupied with her new best friend in the backyard so you found yourself standing next to Joel helping him prepare a bowl of mashed potatoes.

"Look, let me show you a trick my dad taught me." You said as you pulled the melted butter from the microwave. He watched you intently as you explained that folding the butter in slowly prevented gluey mashed potatoes rather than pouring it all in at once. "Also, next time I'll show you how to make from scratch. No more boxed mashed potatoes."

"I'd like that." He said. He didn't want to tell you that he in fact knew how to make mashed potatoes from scratch or that he made the best mashed potatoes from scratch. That he was better at making mashed potatoes from scratch than from a box but the box is what he had in the pantry because he forgot to go shopping.

He just needed another excuse to have you over. To have your sweet voice filling his ears about things he already knew. To listen to the way you gently interacted with his daughter like you knew her for her entire life. To listen to you call that damn dog Pickle over and over again no matter how silly it sounded.

"When did we get a damn dog?" Tommy walked into the kitchen carrying a case of beer and a watermelon in his hands. "Hey, there."

"That would be Pickle." Joel said and you almost snickered at how it sounded coming from his lips.

"I'm Tommy." Joel's brother introduced himself to you and you to him after the short explanation of why you were there for dinner. Joel silently cursed his brother for showing up even though this was the plan prior to your invitation. He simply enjoyed the time that you two had alone in the kitchen preparing dinner.

Tommy was handsome of course, just like his brother but Joel took the lead by a long shot. Guys your age were just alright but Joel was giving you feelings none of them ever could. Maybe it was the fact that he had probably about ten years on you, or the way that he never broke eye contact ever. You almost wanted to believe he was just trying to intimidate you, but he just wanted you to know that as long as you were present in front of him, his attention was yours.

Joel felt foolish to say the least. Crushing on the neighbor's niece when she'd be gone in a month was insanity. The man had barely even looked at another woman since Sarah's mother left. But here you were in front of him and he couldn't stop staring at every inch of you. You were absolutely stunning and he couldn't grasp the fact that you were standing in his kitchen on a Saturday evening helping him with dinner.

He could tell that Tommy was slowly taking a liking to you, watching the way his brothers eyes squinted when he smiled at anything you said, one of his old tricks that Joel had in fact taught him. Something so simple, but just made a woman feel like you were so much more invested in whatever they were saying. It was hard to read whether you were picking up on it, but all he could do was hope you weren't falling for his antics.

"Are you from Austin?" Sarah asked. Pickle was laying under her feet just hoping she would drop something but to his advantage, she was already sneaking him bites throughout the entire dinner without anyone noticing.

"I actually live in Dallas, but I've lived here for the most part since I was eighteen." You answered her.

"Oh, so you're in college." Tommy said glancing at his older brother. There was an inkling that if you were still in college Joel would fuck off and let his brother have a chance.

"I actually just graduated from UT. I have a bachelor's in biochemistry." You replied catching the glance, but you didn't make any note of it.

"Shit, so she's a genius." Tommy gaped. "Congratulations."

"That's impressive." Joel said to you and you gave him a small smile of appreciation, the words making your stomach flutter.

"Dad, I want to go to UT and get a degree in biochemistry too." Sarah said and you almost blushed at her words. Compliments from kids always felt slightly more important because they knew almost nothing of the world and had no filter, so if they complimented you it must be true.

"You can do whatever you put your heart to, kiddo." Joel said to her.

The four of you sat around the table and you explained to them how Pickle had come into your lives, how your dad used to bring you here to visit your aunt and what going to UT was like. They all were interested in hearing what attending one of the most popular schools in Texas especially because every once in a while they too liked attending a UT game or two. Joel of course soaked up every word, thankful he hadn't met you until now because if he had during your college days he would've not let himself have a single thought in that way about you.

But he didn't. So here he was, studying each feature on your face as you talked. From your jaw down to the curve of your neck where your collarbone met your shoulder, what it might feel like to sink his teeth into the skin there-

He was pulled from his thoughts as you and Sarah rose from the table gathering everyone's dishes. "You don't have to."

"I want to, Joel. No worries." You squeezed his shoulder in a reassuring manner that made his stomach flutter. Sarah was eager to follow in your footsteps, the two of you putting the leftovers away and handwashing the rest of the dishes. Joel and Tommy sat watching the two of you engaging in their in own conversation.

"You win, big brother." He muttered taking a sip from his beer.

"What's that s'posed to mean?" Joel asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Look at you, you're smitten. You've known her all of what? Two minutes? She barely gave me the time of day." Tommy sighed. "It's nice seeing you have a little crush since Sarah's mom left."

"I don't have a crush." Joel quickly shut his statement down. He could try to lie to himself but he knew it was true. "This ain't high school."

"I'm just saying. See where it goes." Tommy patted his big brother's shoulder.

Joel took another deep breath that came out as more of a sigh. "And if she's not...?"

"Move on. There's other fish in the sea." Tommy stood from his seat at the table. "Who wants ice cream?"

The gasp that left Sarah's lips was comical and you couldn't help but laugh at her reaction, "Dad, can we please?"

"Alright, alright." Joel laughed and your eyes met his for a moment. You looked away quickly, turning your attention back to Sarah. Eye contact was one of your specialties, something your dad taught you was important when you were a little girl, except when it came to Joel Miller apparently.

"I'm actually going to head home. Dinner was great though, thank you." You replied. As much as you wanted to join them for ice cream you didn't want to overstay your welcome.

"What? So soon?" Joel asked as if you hadn't spent the entire evening with him and his family. He wanted to punch himself for accidentally sounding so eager.

"Yeah, I'm still full from dinner so I'll pass on the ice cream and Pickle-"

"Maybe Pickle wants ice cream." Sarah interjected.

"Pickle looks like he wants some ice cream." Tommy added. "Just come along for the ride at least."

"Please please please." Sarah folded her hands as she stood in front of you staring up at you with pleading puppy dog eyes that you just couldn't say no to.

"Fine." You smiled and she squealed from happiness grabbing Pickle's leash from your hands.

"She really likes you." Joel laughed as the four of you walked out to Tommy's truck. You squeezed in the backseat with Sarah and Pickle and then Tommy drove you all to the ice cream shop up the road that was a fan favorite of everyone in the neighborhood.

Everyone got their favorite flavors and you even bought a little pup cup for the chubby boy that looked like he had already had twenty. Sarah had spoiled him at the dinner table and now here he was getting his own little ice cream.

You and Joel sat on the same side of the table across from Tommy and Sarah as you fed Pickle his ice cream slowly so he wouldn't inhale the entire thing. Just like you said earlier, you passed on getting your own cone because you did feel a little full from dinner still.

You almost sighed looking at Joel's ice cream and how good it looked, mindfully wishing you had gotten your own. Maybe your aunt had some stashed away in the freezer at home.

"Want a bite?" Joel asked catching your eyes lingering on his strawberry ice cream. Before you could object he scooped a spoonful and held it towards you. You rolled your eyes but opened your mouth anyways letting him feed you the ice cream. It hit you that the two of you were sitting quite close. Your knees were touching and you were shoulder to shoulder.

Neither Sarah nor Tommy noticed the tender moment, them being engaged in their own conversation about which ice cream flavor was better.

When you arrived back at the house, you waved Tommy and Sarah goodnight and Joel held Pickle's leash in his hand as he walked you back across the street to your front door.

Your fingertips brushed once again as he passed Pickle's leash back over to you. He leaned against the doorframe as he watched you open it and send Pickle inside.

"Thank you for having me. It's been a lonely week." You admit to him.

"Anytime." Joel replied. Not a man of many words it seems.

"Well, I'll see you around." You tell him, trying to avoid an awkward silence.

For the first time in a while, Joel was at loss for words. He wanted to compliment you, ask you out on a proper date maybe, but he choked. The idea of you turning him down, someone who you might think is a little too old for you made him anxious. He had barely just moved in a week ago and was already thinking of asking you out.

"Listen, uh, thanks for hanging out with Sarah today. She really enjoys your company, I can tell. Never seen the girl more excited to do dishes." He said before you could step inside.

"She's a good kid, Joel. You should be proud." You offer him a smile.

"Thanks." The smile that spread across his face was genuine. Nothing warmed his heart more than someone complimenting his parenting. It was rough on his own, but he did a damn good job if he says so himself.

"See you." You stood on your tiptoes in the spur of the moment and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. You're not sure why you did it or where the courage to do it even came from but you shut the door behind you before you could hear or see his reaction.

Joel cheesed like a kid in a candy story walking back to his new home across the street.

"You're certainly fucked that's for sure." Tommy laughed as he watched Joel walk up the porch steps, having just watched the entire encounter between you two. "Smitten little boy."

"Shut up." Joel shoved Tommy's shoulder, but he didn't even mind the teasing because he was right.

PREV|NEXT

[wonderjourneys]

Amsterdam - Canal Cruise

Amsterdam is known for lots of things. From the Dutch Masters like Rembrandt and Vermeer in Rijksmuseum, to neighbourhoods like Jordaan, The Nine Streets & Red Light District.

But most known are the Amsterdam Canals. An Unesco World Heritage site. A canal cruise is a must do when you travel to Amsterdam. This video tour is a travel guide along the famous canals of Amsterdam: from the starting point of the cruise near Wester Kerk (prinsengracht, west side) all the way around.

This canal cruise took about an hour to complete. You can just drift along the boat houses and old Amsterdam architecture. Seeing Wester Kerk, Keizersgracht, the river Amstel with the Skinny Bridge, then around the NEMO Science museum and the VOC Ship (replica of a ship that sailed the world during the Dutch Golden Age).

Amsterdam is located in the province (“state”) of North-Holland. Other places nearby that are worth checking out when you stay a couple of days are: Giethoorn (lots of tourist make the day trip to this Venice Of The North), Zaanse Schans in Zaandam (a collection of Dutch Windmills), Marken (a small fishermen’s village just outside of Amsterdam) and Edam / Voldendam.

If you happen to visit in the spring time: then seeing the Tulips in Keukenhof is a wonderful thing to see.

#Amsterdam #Canals #CanalCruise #AmsterdamCanalCruise #Netherlands #TheNetherlands #Holland #Nederland #Belanda #PaysBas #Niederlande #Travel #Europe #YouTubeTravel #RoamTheWorld #Explore #Architecture #Autumn #Summer #Vibes #AutumnVibes #SummerVibes #BoatHouses #City #Citylife #CityLiving #RoadTrip #Relax #Water #Calm #Relaxing #4k #Wanderlust #WonderJourneys #Wonder #DavinciResolve #enjoy #wow #tourism #tourist #unesco #unescoworldheritage #jordaan #ninestreets #amstel

[starshine-hockey-girl]

Bridge Over Troubled Water- Journey to the Emerald City Chapter Fourteen

Summary- Teddy and Lex head overseas for a romantic trip to Europe

Author's Notes- 4K

@pattiemac1 @dutch-tv-fan @penstxgal1968 @alittlecuddlefish @juuuuuse

July 2019- American Airlines jet

Lex placed his backpack in his first class pod as Teddy sat down in her seat. She smiled and he sat next to her. He smiled and stretched out. The pod offered him ample leg room which would be much needed on the long flight. He looked over and gave a grin, "Did I do well?" 

She sat on her knees on her seat and kissed him over the divider. “This is a great start,” she smiled, “I will warn you. I may have to sneak into your pod for a snuggle session later.” 

He frowned slightly, “You don’t like the pods?”

She shook her head vigorously, “I love the pods. They are so much better than trying to sleep in a regular seat. There is room to stretch and put all of your stuff.” 

“Why do I suspect there is a but coming?” he asked softly. 

“There is a wall between us. It is not really conducive to snuggling. Look though, there is a little seat for me to come visit you or I could just climb on top of you,” she soothed. “It’s my first time flying first class to Europe. I feel so fancy,” she laughed. She hoped that he wouldn’t question her further. 

“How did you fly to Europe before? I know that you have been before,” he asked.

“Well, he who shall not be named and I flew coach when we went to Italy,” she answered. 

“What about when you went for Frankie’s sixteenth birthday?” he prodded. She looked down and didn’t answer. “It was on the jet, wasn’t it? Of course you flew to Spain on a private jet,” he moaned. “I am never going to impress you, Bliss,” he whined. 

Teddy got up and marched around the aisle to the opening to his pod. The aisles were full of passengers walking to their seats. She plopped down on the visitor seat in his pod and poked his leg. “Hey you,” she spoke gently. “You don’t think I am impressed by this trip?. I am not oblivious to how much these tickets cost, plus the cost of hotels and everything else. This isn’t cheap, Lex. I know it and I appreciate it. I know that is a big expense for you and you are not one to throw your money around. However, you are spending it on me because you love me and you value me.” Lex looked up shyly and gave her a grin. “That being said, what impresses me the most is your heart. You have the biggest heart that gives me the biggest love. I appreciate this trip but you impress me the most with the day-to-day stuff. Do you want the list?” she countered. Teddy climbed onto his lap, “You impress me, Lex. You impress me more than anyone I have ever known.” She kissed his cheeks before giving him a full kiss on the mouth. “Say that you believe me, Lex,” she whispered. 

“I believe you, Bliss,” he breathed into her ear, “I believe you.”

“Good,” she said as she sat up and bopped his nose. He smiled as she returned to her pod for takeoff. She held up her hand and he took it into his over the divider. It was their tradition to hold hands during take-off. He leaned forward and kissed it as the wheels lifted off the ground. 

“Hey Lex,” she laughed, “You know what I am really impressed with?”

“No, what?“ he answered. 

“That big dick and how you fuck me with it,” she giggled. 

“Down Kitty Kat- it’s a long flight and there is no way this body can do it in that tiny airplane bathroom” he warned, “but I am glad that you are impressed.”

“Boo. You are a party pooper, Tiger Man,” she pouted. 

“Bliss,” Lex called from the hotel bedroom, “We need to leave soon to make it to the show on time. I know that you don’t want to miss it when the curtain goes up.” 

Teddy examined her reflection in the mirror. She was hesitant about the cut of the dress and the amount of cleavage that was on display, but did have to admit that “the girls” did look spectacular. “Almost done,” she called back. One final glance over and she emerged from the small bathroom. She walked into the room and looked at Lex who was turned away, staring out of the window. He wore the same brown suit as he did in Dallas when they saw Wicked the first time. Teddy bit her lip and took in the sight of his muscular body. Lex turned from the window and stared. His mouth opened and closed a few times before Teddy quipped, “Cat got your tongue, Tiger?” 

He walked over and took her hand into his and spun her around. The emerald green, deep V-necked gown twirled slightly as she moved. “That’s quite the dress, Bliss,” he smiled, “You look fantastic.” His fingers lightly played with her loose curls that were held in a loose up-do. 

“So no comment on Tiger?” she laughed. She had recently given him the nickname during the recent foray into kinkier sex. 

“If I make a comment, then you will say something snappy back and then the next thing you know is that I have you pressed against the wall and we miss the opening number,” he teased.

“Just the opening number?” she joked,

“The whole damn show. You have it memorized so you could probably act it out yourself,” he retorted, “It will save me the torture.”

“Hey,” she said softly, “You are the one that bought the tickets. It was the whole point of the trip. 

 “Yes, I did buy the tickets,” he corrected.“but that’s not the whole point of the trip, Bliss,” 

“What’s the point of the trip?” she asked. 

“You’ll see,” he smiled and pulled her in for a kiss. 

At the theater, he held Teddy’s hand as they ascended the stairs to the theater. His hand was placed firmly on her back as he guided her through the lobby to the bar. They had just enough time for a pre-show cocktail before the show. Lex took notice of several gentlemen giving Teddy double-takes as they chatted in the VIP lounge. She was, however, adorably oblivious to the attention, which warmed his heart. What didn’t escape Teddy’s attention was the subtle looks of envy she received from other women in the well-appointed area. “That’s right, girls- he is all mine,” she teased mentally. 

Lex looked at her and smiled,”What’s going on in that mind of yours? Are you good?”

Teddy placed her hand on his chest and gave him a bashful grin as she peered up at him through her eyelashes. “I am so good, Lex,” she said as she traced small circles on his chest, “I was just thinking how you are the most handsome man in the room and all the other women are looking at you like a snack that they want to taste. However, they don’t have a shot because you are mine.”

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “What other women? I only see one woman.” Teddy grinned and kissed his cheek. “Let’s go before we miss Glinda’s spectacular entrance. We can’t miss that,” he joked. They walked in and took their front row seats. Teddy’s mouth dropped as she sat down. Immediately she grabbed Lex’s arm and rested her head on his shoulder when he took his seat. The music started and the curtain went up. Lex smiled as Teddy sat forward and became transfixed by the show. He pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her as “Not That Girl” began. She looked back at him and smiled. He mouthed “I love you” before she returned her attention to the stage. 

At intermission, they walked back to the VIP lounge for another drink. He handed her a cocktail and smiled at her. Teddy gazed into his eyes and suddenly felt the tears form. “Bliss?” he questioned as he pulled into his body, “Tell me.”

“It’s so different than the first time,” she whispered, “yet it feels almost the same. You were so sweet and kind to me. I fell in love with you that night. I didn’t know it then, but I did.” 

“You fell in love that night? I am sorry that I was slower,” he soothed. 

“It’s okay,” she murmured, “I wasn’t that girl to you then.”

“No, you were always that girl, Bliss. I was too stupid to realize it. I am glad I did before someone else snatched you away from me,” Lex said softly. Suddenly he was overcome with emotion, “Shit, why am I crying?” 

“I don’t know. We have to get it together. We are going to blubbering messes later,” she laughed to lighten the mood. He shook his head in disbelief. Yet, he gladly accepted her offered tissue as “For Good” started. He pulled her to his chest and she sang softly, “But I know I'm who I am today because I knew you.”

Back at the hotel, Teddy carried her shoes as she walked barefoot down the hall to their room. “Hey Lex,” she said quietly.

“Yeah,” he nudged her arm. 

“If I forget to tell you later, this has been one of the best nights of my life,” she mused, “You spoiled me.”

“You deserve it, Bliss,” he replied as he opened the door. Teddy walked past him and paused in front of him. He unzipped her dress and kissed her shoulders. She gingerly stepped out the dress and revealed her thigh high stockings and lace panties. He let out a low whistle as she turned around and gave him a shy smile. “What’s on the agenda tomorrow, Bliss?” he questioned as she walked to the closet to hang up the dress. In the three days they had been in London, each day had been full of museum and bus tours. They had been on the go from morning to night. 

She turned to walk to the bathroom but paused. “Nothing scheduled. I would like to go to Harrods sometime tomorrow and maybe go on a river cruise. Why?”

He walked to her and lifted her up. He cradled her in his arms and walked her to bed. “I wanted to know if we have an early morning.”

She smiled, “Oh, do you have plans?”

“Yeah,” he kissed her tenderly as he put her on the bed, “I plan on making love to you all night.”

She lifted her hips and wiggled out of her panties. She tossed them onto the floor. Her hand went to the stockings. “Leave them,” he demanded as he stripped off his clothes, “They’re hotter than hell.”

“You like?” she grinned as he climbed on top of her. She felt his erection press against her body. 

He moaned as he slid into her waiting sex, “More than like. My God, Bliss…..You turn me on. I can’t think straight.”

“Don’t think, Lex- just fuck,” she kissed his neck as her hips rocked to meet this thrusts.

“Yes ma’am,” he groaned as he hooked her leg over his hip to thrust deeper, “Going to fuck you all night.”

Four days later- Paris

Lex sat on the small bed and sighed. They had just arrived in Paris on an early morning flight from London. He swore that the room looked bigger in the pictures. He had been so proud that he had planned the trip without much input from Teddy. To be honest, he had booked flights and hotels. With the exception of the tickets to Wicked, Teddy had planned the daily itineraries. He couldn’t even complain about them. They were detailed, organized and alternated between a busy, full day of sites and a lazy, unplanned day of relaxation. Teddy called them days to “soak up the culture”. 

Teddy stood in the doorway to the bathroom and smiled. “It’s cozy, Lex,” she tried to make the best of it, “I love it.” She took a step to the window and looked at the Eiffel Tower. “The view is lovely.” 

“Bliss,” he laid back and spread his arms wide. His arm span exceeded the width of the bed. His long legs hung over the edge of the bed.  He sat back up and reached to touch her arm. “It’s tiny,” he whined, “It’s so small.” She turned to look at him and saw the look of misery on his face. 

“Do you want me to get us a different room? A bigger room?” she asked sweetly.

“Can you? You know- work that Teddy magic? he asked expectantly. 

Within the hour, they had checked out of the hotel Lex had selected and were being escorted to their suite in the five star hotel that Teddy secured. There had been a war of credit cards at check-in which ultimately Teddy won. “I have not paid for a single thing on this trip- nothing- so let me pay for the better room. I may have splurged just a bit too,” she insisted. Lex could tell right away the hotel was WAY more expensive than his selection. His jaw dropped as the door to the suite opened up. The large suite was bright and airy. There were Eiffel Tower views from every window. Duplex Suite at Shangri-La Paris

“Where’s the bed?” he asked as the bellman pointed to the stairs which led to a large bedroom upstairs. Even Teddy’s jaw dropped as the bellman opened the door to the private terrace with an amazing Eiffel Tower view. Lex tested out the bed and found it to be large enough. 

Teddy walked out onto the terrace while Lex tipped the bellman generously. He found Teddy and wrapped his arms around her body as she stared at the Eiffel Tower. “Thanks for the upgrade, Bliss,” he kissed her neck, “How far behind have I thrown us off your schedule?” 

She grinned, “Actually we are not behind at all. We don’t really have anything planned until this evening. If you are hungry, I have a few restaurants that I want to try. Other than that we can take a stroll or nap.” She turned her head and winked, “We will need our rest for tonight. I do have a couple of things planned.”

“Lunch and then a nap sound perfect,” he smiled. 

LATER THAT AFTERNOON

“Lex,” she said as he gathered his things and put them in the backpack, “Don’t forget your jacket.”

“Bliss, I am already in a sweatshirt and sweating,” he whined. 

“Just put it in the backpack or don’t whine later,” she responded, “It will be cold down there.” He rolled his eyes and zipped up the backpack, which did contain her jacket. There had been quite the debate in Dallas when Teddy had insisted that Lex bring a couple of sweatshirts and a jacket for the trip. They had proved to be invaluable on some rainy days in England. Why he was balking at wearing them in Paris confused her. 

At the entrance to the Catacombs, a young gentleman held up a sign that simply said “Oleksiak”. Teddy and Lex walked up to him and Teddy greeted him, “Bonsoir, I’m Teddy and this is Lex. Are you our tour guide?” 

He looked up at Lex and said, “Yes, I am. Come with me.” They were led past the line that snaked around the building. Julian, the tour guide, marveled at Lex’s size as Teddy tried to explain that Lex played hockey and not football or basketball. They held hands as Lex followed Julian down the narrow, spiral stairs to the catacombs.

"How many steps are there?" Lex questioned as he struggled to navigate the steps that did not accommodate his large feet. His broad shoulders barely fit in the stairwell.

"131 stairs on the way down," Teddy answered.

"Ugh," he whined.

"If it's any consolation, there are only 112 going back up," she tried to joke.

"Who thought this was a good idea?" he looked back and teased.

"Your beautiful and awesome girlfriend who you love so much?",she answered.

He smiled and pulled her in for a kiss, "It's a good thing I adore you. Hey, we only have 70 more steps to go!"

An hour later, they emerged up the stairs from the catacombs. On the street, Lex stretched his arms high above his head, “Bliss, I will do anything for you but never ask me to do that again. It was torture.” 

“It sounded like a lot more fun on the internet. You're right though. An hour of walking around in a dark, cramped space filled with skeletons? I’ll pass on that,” she sighed, “I am sorry I made you do it.” Teddy folded her arms over her body and scanned the sidewalk. Their driver was supposed to be waiting on them. She looked at her watch and shook her head nervously. 

“Bliss Babe, look at me,” he spoke gently as she paced. She stopped and stared at him. “First, I was being dramatic. It was an interesting history." He walked over to her, "Second, you make everything an adventure. I have never had a better travel companion," he soothed. "Third, I made you watch the damn soccer game at that obnoxious pub so I won't complain about one dud experience." He wrapped her in his arms and she rested her head on his chest. "I didn't mean to upset you, Bliss," he said as he kissed her head.

"At least you didn't almost get in a fistfight here," she laughed. 

Lex smiled, "Hey, the asshole grabbed your ass. I had to protect my woman."

"Chivalry is not dead," she smiled at him. He pushed her hair out of her eyes.  "I'm better now," she proclaimed, "Monthly hormone surge was in effect." He nodded in solidarity.

"Ms. Baxter?" A voice called from the street. Lex tilted his head in question.

"Our next adventure- I guarantee that you will not be hunched over!" She smiled. 

When they stepped out of the car at the boat dock, he smiled. "What are we doing, Bliss?" 

She led down the dock and onto the small boat."I heard that you can see some of the best views of the city from the Seine. We have the boat to ourselves for a private tour."

"All to ourselves?" he said in surprise.

"Well, there is a crew and tour guide so not completely to ourselves," she corrected.

"Oh," he replied with a hint of disappointment, "I was hoping for some privacy."

"Privacy?" She grinned as they boarded the small boat, "How much privacy do you want?" The tour guide led them to the front of the boat past the candlelit table. He then instructed them that they would begin the cruise soon. 

Lex in the cushioned wooden chair and pulled Teddy into his lap. He kissed her temple. "I want enough privacy to make out with my woman if I choose."

"I think that can be arranged," she replied, "We have dinner and the cruise. We end at the Eiffel tower."

"This is fancy, Bliss," he remarked.

"Better than the catacombs?" She asked quietly.

He stretched out his arms and legs, "so much better."

"I redeemed myself?" She smiled.

"Oh yeah," he took his finger to turn her head to kiss her gently. 

"Welcome to the City of Love, my love," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Three days later-Giverny France

Lex held Teddy's hand as they walked along the road between the bus stop and the entrance of Monet's Garden. "So what is the place, Bliss?"

"You have heard of Claude Monet, right?" she started to explain. 

He stopped short and stared at her in disbelief. "Yes, the French impressionist painter- I am a hockey player- not an idiot."

"Sorry," she continued, "I know that you are not an idiot." She walked back to him and kissed his chest. "This is his house and gardens where he painted."

"No shit? Really?" He gazed ahead. "That is impressive. Is it open to the public?"

"Yes," she smiled, "Are you really interested?" Teddy was somewhat shocked after his tepid response to the Louvre.

"Is this about the Louvre?" he questioned, "I was interested in the art, Bliss,  at least for the first two hours of it. I lost interest after the Mona Lisa. That was a complete let down." Teddy smiled at the memory of Lex's disappointment at the size of the disproportionate crowd to artwork size. He read her mind and laughed, "Come on, Bliss! That painting was tiny and I had to elbow through the crowd to get you to the front." Teddy laughed as she remembered how the crowd parted as he walked. His size had the power to speak internationally.

"Then come on Lex. I want to beat the crowd," she said cheerfully. 

Once Teddy showed their pre-ordered admission, they sailed past the line into the house of Claude Monet. Surprisingly it was Lex who spent time reading each and every informational plaque. Teddy stood next to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. 

Finally they made their way out of the house and into the garden. They strolled through the first section before taking the stairs and tunnel to the second section. Teddy gasped when the water gardens came into view. "It's so pretty, Lex" she whispered as she gazed at the wisteria-covered Japanese Bridge.

 Lex pointed to a bench which offered a perfect vantage point. As they sat, his head tilted slightly. "Bliss, why does this look familiar?" He paused and stared again, "Wait, don't you have this? It was in your apartment when we met." He continued, "What happened to it?"

"I got rid of it when I changed apartments after you got traded," she explained and then turned silent again. Lex turned to her, suspicious of her silence. She sat and observed the scenery as tears fell from her eyes. "Bliss?" he questioned softly. She shook her head slowly before she reached for his hand. He readily gave it and squeezed hers tight. He studied her face which appeared serene despite the tears. She wiped her tears and smiled at Lex. He wrapped his large arms around her shoulders and brought her to his chest. He gently stroked her hair as they sat silently. 

"I'm sorry," she finally said in a low voice, "I didn't expect to get emotional. Wow, I can't believe I am actually here. It's like a dream come true."

"You dreamt about coming here?" Lex asked, "You didn't mention it when we were planning. Why?"

Teddy looked away, "It's complicated." She stared at the bridge and then down at the ground. "Frankie loved Monet. When she went to Tech, she had a print of this bridge in her dorm room. After she died, I took it," she rambled. Lex placed his hand on her back and rubbed slowly. "When I moved out into my first apartment, I took it with me," she continued, "At the time, I didn't know much about Monet other than I loved the painting. When things got bad with….." She paused and took a deep inhale, "when he would rage at me for whatever infraction I had committed that day- disagreeing with him or embarrassing him in public. Some days it was breathing. On those days, I would stare at the print and fantasize about what it would be like to be in that world. It looked so beautiful and peaceful." 

"I didn't know that this was a real place. I thought Monet had just painted it from a picture in his mind. It was my mom who gave me a book about Monet for Christmas that I knew it existed," she confessed. She looked at the wisteria and inhaled the scent. "As bad as it was then, there was a part of me that knew I would get here one day. I knew that I would escape and find this place," she sighed. “Then when I got that new apartment, I got rid of it. It was just another painful memory to get rid of like all of the stuff associated with you."

"Bliss," he spoke softly, unsure how to respond. 

"Honestly, I forgot about it until just now," she turned to Lex. She pushed herself into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face into his neck. "In all of those times, when I was dreaming of finding this place, I was alone. I never dreamed that I would have someone to be with me. I thought if I escaped that I would be too damaged for someone to love me."

She looked at his face, "I didn't dare to dream this big. I didn't know that I would find a love this wonderful. I didn't know that we would find each other."

"I forgot about the dream because my reality is better than the dream. I made it Lex. I escaped and finally made it to the place of my dreams," she whispered as she looked into his eyes, "with a man better than I could imagine."

"Are you glad you came here?" He kissed her lips gently.

Teddy turned to take in the breathtaking scenery, "Yes, I am especially since I am with you."

She turned to find him staring at her face. She smirked, "What? Look at how beautiful it is."

"I know it's beautiful, Bliss, but I am looking at my favorite view," he smiled.

"Awwww,” she blushed, “Do you mind if we just sit here for a while. I want to soak in this moment.”

"Maybe we can get a new print? A new one to go along with our new memory?" he asked, "We can put it above our bed."

"I would like that Lex. I would like that a lot," she smiled.

"Me too," he pulled her close. They settled in for a long snuggle.

[kylianmbappe1710]

A Travel Blog

I have visited Paris recently and I am writng this blog to share my experience there.

Paris is known for its gorgeous, imposing monuments. These iconic structures, often an exemplar of a particular era in architecture, are one of the city's instantly recognizable elements. The preeminent of Paris's landmarks is the Eiffel Tower.Paris is known for a lot of things, but perhaps the most famous is the City of Love.

If you wan't to reach Paris you can go by the following ways :

1)By Air. Paris has 3 major airports near it. Charles de Gaulle is an airport which is 30 km from Paris

2)By Train. Paris is well connected from other cities in Europe and can be easily reached via trains.

The facilities available in Paris are :

1)There are many good Hotels where you can stay.The hotels are 4 to 5 star rated

2)You can visit many monuments there like the Eiffel Tower ,Wall of Love,Arc de Triomphe,Conciergerie,Panthéon and many more.

Here are some pictures and videos of Paris

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[jounetyfinder]

TOP 50 • Travel Destinations & Best Places to Visit in the World 8K ULTRA HD

TOP 50 · Travel Destinations and The best Places to Visit in the World in 8K ULTRA HD Resolution. In this video you will see an … source

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Watch "25 Most Beautiful Towns To Visit in Europe 4K 🌍 | Best of Europe Travel Video" on YouTube

NFT Mulan prime ai use for European tourism

Oecd ai update and oced ai talk to alpha zero 7 years and Watson clutch Jarvis Prime AI with Imperium Jarvis Field operators operations.

[iliveiloveiwrite]

travel books and romance novels // Colin Bridgerton

Summary: Colin visits the library for research into his next trip; he didn’t expect to find you.

A/N: Colin’s desire to travel honestly reflects my own. For purposes of the fic, I have aged Colin up - it’s more to fit the plot line of Book Four which is his book anyway. I’m not sure how to feel about this fic, I'm happy with it but I’m not at the same time. I’m not being too harsh on myself however, this is my first time writing for Colin and I haven't got to grips with his character yet. I hope you all like!! <3

Pairing: Colin Bridgerton x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Colin is very cute, pining, mutual pining, strangers to friends to lovers, female reader, she/her pronouns, marriage proposal, happy ending.

Word count: 4k

Colin Bridgerton had spent over two decades of his life on this planet and had yet to find something or someone he loves more than travelling. The bug first bit him in his early twenties; desperate to experience a Grand Tour – a tradition of which that had strongly died out in the past century. He had read about it so often; dreamed of it nearly every day that eventually he put the idea forward to Anthony and his mother, Violet.

Though Violet was apprehensive at first, she warmed up to the idea once Colin gave her permission to choose some of the countries he would visit. Anthony held no qualms; having travelled to France and Spain before tragedy forced the family title upon his shoulders. Being able to travel would forge Colin into the man he should be; it would give him experience, and plenty of stories to tell his children and then eventually, their children.

Upon arriving back in London after his second trip away, Colin found himself glad to be home. He had sorely missed the sounds and smells that accompany London; the clipping of horses hooves and the constant chit-chat of men and women. It was home; it would always be home.

However, as he stepped off the boat or the train, Colin always wondered the same thing. How long would it be until he craved adventure once more?

------------

A month.

Colin lasted a month in the company of his beloved family before he was desperate to head off on his next adventure. However, he had no clear destination in mind. He had visited Europe, toured the Mediterranean and had hopes of crossing the Atlantic one day soon, but for now - to save his mother’s poor nerves - was content to remain closer to home.

He wasn’t one to visit libraries himself, usually sending a list of books with a servant whenever they visited the place, but this time he fancied the walk to stretch his legs. He had decided that research was the best way forward into finding his next destination, his next adventure. The library could offer such a thing.

It truly was a thing of wonder; so many books and serial publications at home in one place. The library at Bridgerton House was well stocked and Colin knew he could walk in freely and take whatever he would need, but there was something attractive about going out to find exactly what you need. There was also the added bonus of a lack of interrogation from his much-loved mother.

A huff leaves his body as Colin is pitched forward; barely catching himself before knocking into one of the shelves. Turning, Colin readies the words he wants to fling at the person who had yet they die in his throat when he finds you standing behind him with an apologetic look on your face, close to tears.

“Mr. Bridgerton!” You gasp, bowing your head politely and in apology, “I hadn’t meant to walk into you.”

Colin smiles, brushing down his suit jacket, “It’s no worry, Miss (Y/L/N). No harm done.”

“I hope not,” You reply, biting your lip.

His smile grows wider at the note of concern in your voice. “Truly, Miss (Y/L/N), no harm done.”

“Nevertheless, I apologise.”

“What are you reading?” He asks, nodding at the two books in your hand, changing the subject.

“They’re romances,” You admit shyly, “I read to my aunt twice a week. She rather enjoys them.”

“And you? Do you enjoy them?”

“There are some that I enjoy, yes, but I prefer books with adventures if I’m being honest.”

“Adventures?”

You nod, “I like them very much. What do you read?”

Colin frowns; confused at the question. You gesture to the shelves of books surrounding you, “What do you like to read, Mr. Bridgerton? We are in a library after all.”

“Non-fiction,” He replies, nodding his head to the stack dedicated to true life accounts of travellers. “I’m here doing research.”

“Research?”

“For where I want to travel to next,” Colin clarifies; walking towards the stack, all the while knowing you’re following.

“Have you an idea?”

He shakes his head; disappointed at the admission. For his last two trips abroad, he had known exactly where he wanted to go and what he wanted to do and see. Now, however, he was struggling for ideas.

You nod your head; seemingly understanding the predicament Colin has found himself in. Holding close the hardcover editions of the romances your aunt loved so much, you take a step back from the third eldest Bridgerton.

“I hope you find your location soon, Mr. Bridgerton,” You murmur in farewell, turning away from the tall brunette.

“I hope you enjoy your romances,” Colin replies, watching you walk away. Fleetingly, he wonders if he will see you again.

------------

The library remains just as silent as the last time Colin visited. The books he had borrowed heavy in his hands as he returns them to the attendant who nods in thanks. Distantly, he wonder whether he will run into you again. Since meeting you last, he hadn’t stopped thinking about you.

Colin barely knew you or your family; didn’t know much about your lineage or even whether you knew of his, yet he had not stopped thinking about you and the way you held your books so close to your chest, as if protective of them and what they held even if you didn’t own them. He couldn’t explain the urge he had to get to know you. Colin felt certain that if he wasn’t to see you in the next day or so he was to go mad from the unknown.

Luckily for his sanity, he spies a familiar head of hair amongst the shelves, and he cannot help the surge of happiness that runs through him when he recognises you reading the spines of the books. “Miss (Y/L/N)!” Colin calls out in greeting; rushing over to you.

“Mr. Bridgerton,” You smile, “How have you been? Have you decided on your next destination?”

“I have not though I’ll think of something soon.”

“I look forward to finding out. I’m sure Lady Whistledown will report on it.”

“I’m sure she will,” He drawls; his contempt for the author of the gossip sheet well known amongst family and friends. “How did the romances go down with your aunt? Did she enjoy them?”

Nodding your head, you explain, “Very much so. She usually stays awake for a chapter or two before falling asleep, but this time she stayed awake for close to five. I’m here looking for more books by the same author.”

“Would you like some help?”

“Only if you aren’t too busy. I wouldn’t want to pull you away from something more important.”

Colin shakes his head. “I would be happy to help.”

It takes the better part of an hour. Colin proving to be a distraction to your thoughts as you trawl through the shelves in the library. His very presence throws your mind into overdrive; overthinking his intentions for helping you, but also noticing just how handsome he truly is.

“I think we have enough for now,” You eventually comment, finding it hard to keep the sadness out of your voice as you realise that your time with the Bridgerton is up.

“Are three books enough?” Colin asks warily, as if he doesn’t want the time spent together to end either.

Sighing, you nod, “It’s enough to keep her occupied for a while. It takes us a few weeks to get through one book with me visiting her only twice a week.”

Colin nods understandingly, “Then the other romance novels must be for you.”

You raise an eyebrow, “I much prefer adventure novels though I did tell you that the first time we had met. Though I suppose I didn’t make that much of an impression.”

“I can assure you; you did. I just couldn’t help but notice that you must read far quicker than your aunt so surely you must read the other books you have borrowed.”

Caught out, you avert your gaze back to the books in your hand. Colin tries not to smile in triumph but fails miserably. “How often do you come here?” Colin asks, “Do you borrow books for your aunt alone, or do you read to another relative?”

Pursing your lips, you think over your answer. “I only read to my aunt and I suppose I come here at least once a week, usually on a Wednesday.”

Colin nods, “I shall see you next Wednesday then.”

Watching the Bridgerton walk away from you, you cannot help but wonder what exactly you had gotten yourself into.

-------------

The friendship that develops with Colin Bridgerton felt entirely natural; as if at some point in your lives your paths were always meant to cross, and a friendship was to begin. Colin finds you in and amongst the stacks of books the following week; a triumphant grin on his lips and his eyes bright with happiness when he finds you once again in the romance aisle.

He starts to offer you suggestions of books to read, meeting you at the library week after week; all the whole continuing his research into where he wants to travel next. He hasn’t settled on a destination, yet he comes to realise that this is the longest he has remained in London in years. Usually, Colin would return home, manage a month with his family before taking off again. A routine his mother has come to despise despite offering her blessing for every trip.

Weeks continue to pass and whilst his family know that Colin has become infatuated with someone, he isn’t ready to share you with them yet. He isn’t ready for the inspecting glances and interrogations from his mother, brothers, and sisters. For now, Colin was more than content to share you with the romance books you swear you don’t love as much as you truly do.

------------

The café is busy and getting busier from a lunch rush when Colin sits down across from you. His hair remains a mess despite how often he runs his hands through it in an attempt to flatten it; his eyes are bright as he smiles widely at you.

“I thought you were going to be late,” You admonish, but there’s no heat behind it.

Colin takes a sip of his tea, “I could never be late, not for you.”

“You’re a flatterer.”

“And you’re a romance fan, no matter how many times you try to deny it. Tell me, what are you reading right now?”

You purse your lips, deciding whether to relay the information to him, but the longer you wait, the larger his smile gets. “Definitely not those novels,” You comment, “There is romance in my latest book, but I am reading it for the adventure. It has pirates if you must know, very adventurous.”

Colin laughs, reaching for one of the small cakes on the stand.

“I don’t know how I stand your company,” You complain, trying your best to calm your stomach long enough for you to enjoy the food on your plate. The butterflies raging there were making it rather hard.

“You like me, that’s why.”

“I suppose that is more judgement on me than it is you.”

Colin’s only answer is to wink before returning his attention to the food on his plate. For a while, it is silent between the two of you. happy smiles are exchanged between you both and quiet laughter when you both reach for the same cake; Colin, ever so gracious, lets you have the cake. Instead, he tops up his tea and then yours from the teapot.

“I would like to visit Russia next; I think – St. Petersburg,” Colin declares, breaking the silence once and for all.

“Truly? You would travel so far?” You ask, eyes wandering to the globe on the table in the corner of the room, a display item. Centred on England, Russia could not be seen for the distance between them.

“I’d travel to all four corners of the earth if I could,” Colin admits, voice honest.

You sit back in your chair, eyes wide with wonder at the prospect of travelling even outside the county without a chaperone. “I’d love to travel.”

“It is a marvel,” Colin smiles, thinking back to his trips through Europe and the Mediterranean.

“The only chance I’ll get to travel is on my honeymoon which will be a marvel in itself,” You reply, picking at an invisible thread on your skirts.

“Why?”

You sigh, “Mother doesn’t hold much hope for my marrying. She believes that I have been out for too many seasons and have nothing left to offer that could possibly entice a man into courting me, never mind proposing.”

Colin finds himself gripping the arm of his chair in an attempt to keep his anger at bay. Such words leaving your mouth should be a crime. You have plenty to offer. However, at the sight of your slumped shoulders and sad eyes, Colin realises that you believe the words of your mother; that you truly have nothing left to offer.

On a whim, Colin asks, “Are you attending the Duchess of Hasting’s ball tonight?”

Shaking your head, you explain, “Mother isn’t one for huge events no matter the title of its holder.”

Colin surges forward, grasping your gloved hand, “Come, please. My sister won’t mind. I’ll have her add you to the guest list and send a carriage for you.”

You remain silent as you think over his proposition, ready to turn him down and return to your life of safety but the determination in his eyes and the joy in his smile leaves you nodding your head instead.

“Alright,” You agree, “I shall wait for you carriage.”

------------

The London home of the Duke and Duchess of Hastings could only be described as grand. Candles line the way to courtyard in which the ball would be held; they provide a romantic atmosphere, providing many a dark corner where young couples could sneak away from their chaperones.

Upon your announcement, you find yourself walking through the large crowd of people, unwittingly searching for the familiar head of brown hair. He finds you first, however, smiling widely as he notices you in the crowd.

Colin excuses himself from his conversation; making his way over to you as fast as he can without bringing too much attention to himself.

“You came,” Colin breathes as if in disbelief that you stand before him. His eyes run over you; taking it all in as his heart races. He hasn’t felt like this before; he hasn’t ever known anyone to make him feel like this. Colin feels as if he wants to show you everything, introduce you to everyone, but also keep you for himself should anyone want to steal you away.

“I said I would,” You smile, heated from his attention.

“You look beautiful,” Colin states truthfully.

“Thank you,” You answer, “You look very handsome too.”

“Would you care to dance?” Colin asks, a hand outstretched and waiting.

Smiling, you nod your acceptance. You take his offered hand, letting him leads you to the dancefloor where many other couples are readying themselves for the opening notes of the dance. Out of the corner of your eye, you spy Anthony’s eldest brother getting ready to dance with his wife, Kate. He offers Colin a smile and a nod to which Colin’s shoulders relax somewhat. You raise an eyebrow at the brunette only for Colin to shake his head; nothing you need to worry about.

Colin’s hands find themselves in the correct position son your body as you reach for his free hand, resting your hand on his shoulder. The music soon starts up and Colin begins to lead you round the dancefloor in a flurry of spins that leaves you giggling. His face lights up at the sound of your laughter, soon finding himself joining in.

“Stay for one more dance?” He asks as the music dies and you pull away, desperate not to let go of you just yet, happy enough right now to feel your hand in his and your body pressed so close.

“I’d love to,” You answer honestly, letting yourself be pulled back to the dancefloor where Colins hands soon start to feel like home on your body.

By the end of the second dance, you begin to feel dizzy from the spinning. Smiling gratefully at Colin, you apologise for having to bow out. He dismisses your apology with a wave of his hand, “Shall we get a drink? I’m sure I saw some lemonade not too long ago.”

“Lemonade sounds perfect. I seem to have worked up quite a thirst.”

“Then by all means,” Colin declares, bowing dramatically at the waist, “We must get the lady a drink.”

Laughing softly, you follow Colin to the drinks table where he hands you a small glass of the cold drink. He goes to take a drink from his own glass but is distracted by his mother calling his name. Colin apologises before leaving you in the company of his sisters, Eloise and Hyacinth.

“Good evening, mother,” Colin greets, dropping his head to kiss her on her cheek.

“Two dances in a row?” She asks as greeting, curious to know just who has distracted her son in this manner.

Colin ducks his head; not ashamed to have been caught out in his feelings, but ashamed that he hasn’t introduced you to his family as of yet. Across the room, despite the music, he hears your laughter. His attention rests on you as he watches you laugh at something said by either Eloise or Hyacinth. Your smile is wide as you try to cover it with your hand; trying to be polite but neither sister care that much as they continue to make you laugh.

You’re beautiful, he realises. He’s known it all along, of course, but with that smile on your face, Colin cannot help but desire to be the one who brings such a smile to life. He wants to be the cause of your smiles and your laughter; the reasons why your eyes crinkle in the corner. He wants it all; he wants it with you.

“I think you know why you haven’t set off on another adventure,” Violet states pointedly; eyes dancing between her son and where you stand, talking to Eloise and Hyacinth. A mother always knows.

Colin’s eyes don’t need to follow his mother’s; they had been on you since you excused yourself from him. He’s finally ready to confront what he had known along. “I think I know too. Do you approve?” He asks; realising he sounds like a child desperate for his mother’s attention.

Violet Bridgerton smiles, brushing Colin’s cheek softly with a gloved hand. “I think you suit each other perfectly.”

The smile that breaks over Colin’s face could only be described as blinding as he takes his mother’s hand from his face, kissing the back of it before leaning in to kiss her cheek. Against her cheek, he whispers, “Thank you, mother.”

Violet nods, eyes lined with tears as she watches her third eldest son walk away from her. She would be the first to admit how well suited you both are; the need for adventure alive in the both of you. She shakes her head fondly as she watches her son make his way over to you; holding out his hand, asking you to dance to which you graciously accept.

Violet begins to walk the outskirts of the ballroom; feeling nothing but pride and happiness for each one of her children and elated in the knowledge that there was soon to be another marriage in the Bridgerton household.

-----------

The morning after the ball is a pleasant one. The weather wonderfully warm as the sun shines through the windows; heating the drawing room pleasantly. Turning your face, you take in the rays, careful not to risk too much exposure.

Your latest read remains open on your lap as you continue to bask in the warmth of the sun. So far, the book has captured your attention and has failed to let it go. The heroine of the novel too relatable personality wise for you to take a break long enough. At this point in the novel, she had offered an ultimatum to her suitor – he can join her on her next escapade, or he can find another woman to marry. You could only hope he would join her in her next adventure; their comradery was too perfect to end so suddenly.

However, after the events of last night, you found it hard to focus on the book long enough to turn the page. Instead, you found yourself reading the same line over and over again, desperately trying to lose yourself in the witty prose of the author.

But your mind focused on last night: the music, the dancing, the company. It had been a dream; it felt like a dream – only your mind could cook something up so perfect, yet deep down you knew you had experienced every second. You were certain you were still dizzy from the spins you had taken when dancing with Colin.

Biting your lip, you think back to the three dances you had shared with the third eldest Bridgerton. Three dances – could it be true? Shaking your head, you answer your own question. It was true; you remember every moment with crystal clarity. Three dances with Colin had to mean something; it had to mean he felt something for you. Your heart begins to race as you think of the possibilities

“Miss,” Your Butler states, interrupting your daydreaming, “A Mr. Colin Bridgerton is here to call on you.”

“Show him in,” You answer, standing from your window seat, brushing down the skirts of you dress. Biting your lip, you could only hope that you looked presentable.

“(Y/N),” Colin greets as he enters the room, a large smile on his face. A bouquet of red roses and lady’s breath in his hand that he offers to you.

“They’re beautiful, Colin. Thank you,” You whisper, eyes darting around the room for a vase. They would be put in there after Colin had left.

“I’m glad you think so.”

“What did I do to deserve flowers though?” You ask, a teasing note in your voice.

Colin smiles, “I know where I want to travel to next. I came to tell you.”

A pang of disappointment rushes through your body soon followed by upset. Placing the flowers on the nearest table, you do what you can to avoid his gaze as you ask, “When do you leave?”

“That’s the thing,” He starts, shifting nervously, “I have something to ask of you before.”

“What?”

“Travel with me. Come with me,” He all but pleads, reaching for your hand, “As my wife.”

Your eyes widen as Colin’s grip on your hand tightens. “What?” You question, breath coming in a hurry. “What are you asking me, Colin?”

“I’m asking you to marry me so we can travel together. I’ve seen the world once; I want to see it again with you.”

“I have to admit this isn’t what I expected today,” You ramble, trying your best to not look into his eyes. The moment you do, you’re done for.

“(Y/N)…” Colin interrupts, cutting off your nervous rambling. “I need to know an answer, love.”

It’s only then that you let yourself look into his blue eyes; reading the emotions written over his face. He was promising you adventure; the likes of which you had only read in books. Colin was promising you a future full of love and laughter; a dream you had hoped for since you were a young child.

Suddenly, as you look into his blue, blue eyes, it’s all clear.

“Yes,” You whisper, somewhat breathless but entirely ready to begin your future with the man in front of you, “Let’s see the world together.”

********

Bridgerton Taglist: @heloisedaphnebrightmore @dreaming-about-fanfictions @now-its-time-for-a-breakdown @janelongxox @aspiringsloth20 @wallwriterstuff​

[astro-rain]

delicate; b. barnes

chapter thirteen - “sober desires & the reminiscence of a winsome smile”

delicate masterlist

word count: 4k

synopsis: wakanda gets a visit from our favorite captain, two drinks is too much rum for a reticent psychologist, and bucky knows (& feels) more than meets the eye.

pairings: bucky x fem!reader

[A/N]: this took so long to write but WHEW this chapter!!!! pls let me know what you think >:D

The knock on the outside of his hut was followed by a deep accented voice, one that he had heard before.

"Sergeant Barnes?" it called.

Quickly enough Bucky was outside, facing the king of Wakanda himself. He wasn't sure exactly what to say. You see, the majority of their past interactions included the Black Panther trying to kill him. T'Challa was kind and Bucky trusted him. It was just... a little awkward given the history.

"Your highness," he greeted.

He smiled bashfully at the title.

"I have some news for you."

Bucky's head cocked to the side, curious. News? Should he be worried? He hadn't been expecting anything.

"Captain Rogers is on his way here. He was alerted about our recent complication with N'Jadaka," he said, referring to who Bucky guessed was who Y/N called Erik Killmonger, "and he asked to come check in, make sure you're okay."

Steve was coming. His mood was immediately uplifted. He hadn't seen his oldest friend for months. It was weird to have Steve feeling the need to make sure Bucky was okay; it was usually the other way around. Nonetheless, he was excited. And he had the sudden urge to tell Y/N.

- - -

READER

"Sharon. Hey," she said into the phone.

The friends hadn't spoken since Y/N left for Wakanda - security measures since Sharon helped Steve and betrayed the... well everyone.

"Y/N!" Sharon greeted. "How is everything? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, no I'm totally okay. The Killmonger thing was more the royal family's deal than mine. I was just hiding out in some bunker with Barnes."

Concerned weaved its way into Sharon's voice. "Oh my god. Did anything happen?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, historically, stress hasn't affected him well..."

She wasn't sure why she almost got offended. "No... he was completely fine. He doesn't lose control out of nowhere and turn into the winter soldier. It's a lot more complicated than that... We were fine."

"Oh, that's good. Listen... I'm actually on my way to Wakanda right now."

"You're-... what?"

"Steve needed to check in on Bucky after Killmonger. Wilson and I are coming too."

They must all be together. It makes sense considering what happened after the disaster in Berlin, and then the airport fiasco in Germany and then... everything in Siberia.

Aw, they're in hiding together, Y/N joked in her head. She almost laughed out loud.

"Oh. Is that safe? For you? For everyone?"

"I've been careful. We've all been careful. But, things don't always go as planned. And T'Challa feels bad about putting you guys in a dangerous situation when he was supposed to protect you."

"It wasn't his fault."

"I know. We all know. But, it's kind of his way of making up for it: letting us stay so that Steve can check in on Barnes and we can cool off for a bit."

"Was Rogers mad?"

"Well, he wasn't thrilled that his best friend was trapped alone in a country that just got taken over..."

He wasn't alone.

"...he was mostly worried," Sharon continued. "Still is."

"Right."

"Alright, well I got to go. We'll be there in a couple hours."

"I'll see you. Be safe."

"See you."

- - -

BUCKY BARNES

"Hey Buck," the happiness in Steve's voice was genuine as he patted his oldest friend on the back in the middle of an embrace. "How you been?"

"A hell of a lot better than the last time I saw you, that's for damn sure," Bucky smiled.

Sam Wilson stood next to the star spangled man with a plan. Bucky briefly glanced at him.

"Wilson," he deadpanned.

"Barnes," he returned the greeting.

"I was worried when T'Challa told me about Killmonger," Steve said. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that they let you stay here, but I just didn't think I'd have to be worried so soon."

"It's alright. Everything turned out okay and I was fine the whole time. You don't have to lose your head."

"I'm not losing my head."

"You never had it in the first place."

The blonde changed the topic of conversation.

"You were with that therapist right?"

"Yeah."

"What do we think about her?" he asked with equal parts caution and suspicion. "Do you trust her?"

Bucky wasn't sure why he was almost offended.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, you know what happened the last time you were with a psychiatrist..."

"Yeah well, this one doesn't have a personal vendetta against the Avengers."

"You sure she's alright?"

He looked serious, and Bucky could see the genuine concern etched into his friend's face. Steve was truly wary.

"I'm positive. She's helped so much since I've been here. I really trust her."

"Okay, if you say so. I trust you."

Bucky smirked. "Hey uh... is Sharon with you?"

Sam said nothing but radiated a smirk to match Bucky's perfectly, a kind of smirk that only a ball-busting best friend cracks.

"She is..." Steve replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh nothing. Just wondering, that's all."

"She said she wanted to talk to a friend."

"Oh, she's probably with Y/N."

"Who?"

"Y/N. Dr. Y/L/N. 'The therapist.'"

"I didn't know they were friends."

"Why do you think Sharon recommended her?"

"She said she knew 'the best' person to help."

"That true. She's crazy smart."

"As long as she can do the job, I'm all for it, no matter whose friend she is."

In a short-lived thought, Bucky wondered what Steve Rogers would think of who else Y/N was friends with. He wondered if Steve would think it was strange to be friends with your doctor, or if he'd be pleased that Bucky had gotten close to someone, anyone else in this world.

"How long are you guys staying for?" Bucky asked.

Steve rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "Honestly, we were only planning on staying for like a week or so. We've been moving throughout Europe, and the other day, when we were in Prague... it was almost really bad."

"We need to stay low for a while," Sam added.

"What did you do?" Bucky asked, used to Steve getting himself into trouble.

"It's a long story..."

"What did T'Challa say about it?"

"He said to take as much time as we needed," Steve filled him in.

"You know, I'm startin' to really like this guy," Sam nodded, smiling. "Obviously when he went all cat murderer on you, he was a bit of a pain in the ass. But now? Guardian angel."

Bucky shook his head at Sam's nonsense. What an idiot, he thought. He wondered what Y/N would think of Sam, but then a more pressing question popped into his head.

"Where are you guys gonna stay?"

"I'm guessing there," Steve said pointing behind Bucky.

When he turned around, Bucky was shocked but he also wasn't. Behind and around his hut stood three more just like it, but slightly smaller. He could've sworn those weren't there yesterday, but that's the beauty of Wakanda. They were ten steps ahead of the rest of the world and he guessed that included speed building as well.

"I will never stop loving this place," he admired.

-

He tried not to sound too eager when he knocked on her door. She looked shocked but didn't really try to hide it.

"Oh," she sounded confused. "Hi, Bucky..."

"Hey," he grinned. "I have a proposition for you."

Her eyebrows lowered as her lips twisted into the most devilish smirk. She could communicate an entire joke with just her face.

"Not like that!" he exclaimed.

She laughed, smirk morphing into an endearing smile. "Like what then?"

"Steve wanted to have like a bonfire sorta thing to catch up since we're all together for once. You know, just like drinks and stupid stories from the forties. D'ya think you could part with your paper work to grace us with your presence?"

"Oh, uh... are you sure?"

"Of course. I'd love to have you there."

She wrung out her hands. "I don't know, Buck. Is that really appropriate? To have your doctor hangin' out with your friends?"

"That may be, but that's not what I'm asking. I want my friend to 'hang out' with my other friends."

Out of her composure seeped a meek smile. The air felt softer to him.

"And maybe you can analyze Wilson and tell me what his biggest fear is later," he added.

She snickered.

"Okay. Lead the way, James Buchanan."

-

The fire was a monster, roaring and crackling with all the life in the world. Bucky loved it. He loved the warmth, the heat, the lack of cold.

"I'm gonna get another drink," Y/N said. "You want anything, Buck?"

"I'm all set," he smiled, gaze lingering for only a second too long.

"Sharon?" she turned. "You?"

The blonde shook her head. "Oh, I think I've had plenty."

Surrounding the fire sat five chairs. All but one was empty as Y/N went to get her second drink. Of course they were in Sam's hut, Bucky thought. After all, even though it was Steve's idea, Sam was most excited about the whole thing, actually sitting down and just relaxing instead of fleeing from belligerent governments.

"Therapist's pretty," Sam noted with a smirk once she was out of hearing range.

"Y/N," Bucky corrected, mind going completely elsewhere. "She's so smart."

"Smart enough to call you Buck..." Steve said, catching on to Sam.

"What?"

"She calls you Buck."

"Yeah, so? You do too."

"Yeah, but I've known you longer. And I'm your friend."

"She's my friend too," he shrugged.

"She's your doctor..."

"And I'm a hundred year old man with one arm trying to get un-brainwashed in a country that the rest of the world doesn't even know exists. None of this is conventional."

"...fair," Steve said, with only a little bit of skepticism. "Are you guys close?"

Does spending hours alone talking with someone in a hidden bunker make you close? Does them comforting you after a nightmare and then subsequently allowing you to get the best night sleep you've had in forever? What about making daring voyages to quaint waterfalls and laughing a kind of laugh that makes your heart swell? What about-

"Buck?"

He shrugged. Again. "I guess so."

Sam narrowed his eyebrows. "How close?"

"Wilson," Sharon admonished exasperatedly. "Y/L/N's his doctor, come on. That's inappropriate to suggest."

Sam put his hands up in mock surrender. Briefly, just briefly, Bucky imagined kicking the leg of Sam's chair and watching him fall back. He didn't, obviously. But it would have been funny if he did.

The seemingly never ending conversation was cut short when Y/N returned, drink in hand, and took her seat next to Bucky.

"What'd you get?" he asked, demeanor subtly but swiftly changing into something lighter, something happier.

"I don't know, but it has rum in it," she shrugged sardonically before clinking her glass with Bucky's.

"Cheers," Sam raised his glass, trying to engage.

Y/N wordlessly, and with a half-smile, raised her glass in his direction.

"So," Steve started, comfortably crossing his legs and leaning back into his chair before asking Bucky, "you wanna know what actually happened in Prague?"

"Do enlighten me. I've been waiting all night."

"Jerk."

"Punk."

The rest of the night went on sort of like this. The group took turns telling stories and then listening. Cracking jokes and then laughing. Everyone but Y/N, Bucky noticed. She just... sat and drank, livelihood only extending to the borders of her seat.

He hadn't seen her like this before, and he found himself stuck halfway between confused and worried. Had something happened? Had something wrong been said?

He kept an eye on her as dusk melted into night. He told himself it was because he was concerned, but that was only in addition to the way he was magnetized to how she looked with the light of the fire gleaming on her skin.

After she would finish a drink, she'd stare into the fire for a little while, before leaving to get another. When he made sure no one was looking at him, he'd look at her. Discretely. At her eyes. The reflection of the fire in her pupils made him wonder if she would burn the fire before it could ever burn her. He was all too aware of the heat that accompanied her gaze. It was a ravishing burn that made him ache for the searing feeling as soon as it was taken away.

He didn't dare think of it for too long or else he would get distracted. And someone would call his name, pulling him out of a trance he didn't want to be caught in. A trance he wasn't sure he wanted to admit that he was in.

The night remained as such until someone - he couldn't remember who - said they were tired, and everyone bid their farewells, and wished their good nights.

Y/N spared about a side hug to Sharon before walking off on her own. Bucky half volunteered, half insisted on tending to the fire to make sure it went out, only to ignore it as soon as everyone was gone and follow after his psychologist.

He caught up to her as she was in the middle of opening the door to her living quarters.

"Y/N."

She turned around in the spot, door wide open, staring up at him.

He bore into her eyes, looking at something, noticing her dilated pupils and hazy stare.

"You're drunk," he said, but it sounded more like a question.

"Yeah."

"But you don't seem drunk?"

"I'm not wasted," she padded into the room, carelessly leaving the door wide open for him to walk through. "Just drunk enough to remember why I didn't drink in college."

She rubbed her eyes.

"Think I want another one," she sighed, heading for the door with a bitter smile. "More rum."

Bucky gently closed the door, maneuvering himself in front of it, and blocking her from exiting. Another drink is definitely not a good idea.

He changed the subject. "Why didn't you drink in college?"

Her eyebrows raised, introducing a look that said Really? You think I don't know what you're doing?

"Wow, look at you being the voice of reason for my otherwise inebriated brain."

Nevertheless, she cooperated.

She sighed. "It just... makes me miserable. I'm a sad drunk."

"Better than a mean drunk," he offered.

"Possibly. It's a real mood killer, though."

"That why you were off all night?"

"Off... ? I don't know, I guess so... I'm usually pretty inconspicuous when I'm drunk. Didn't think anyone would really notice."

There was no hesitation when he spoke.

"I did."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be sorry. Just... why did you keep drinking if it only makes you miserable?"

"Alcohol is a depressant," she breathed mechanically, as if speaking was difficult. "It depresses your nervous system, then you get disinhibited. Then you don't care about rationality and just drink! Then in the moment it feels kinda good... but then it makes you sad... and then you need more to blur the feeling away. It's like... the worse you feel, the more you need to drink... but then the more you drink... the worse you feel..."

"How are you drunk but still talking... sorta still like you usually do?"

She smirked, looking like she was trying not to laugh. He was glad she was smiling.

"Maybe you're not the only one with heightened metabolism as a result of the serum..."

He looked at her quizzically, amused. She wasn't making total sense, but he couldn't find it in himself to give much of a damn. She smiled, again.

"Kidding. I just have outstanding self-control."

She plopped down on the floor, deciding that she no longer wanted to use her legs. Fine motor function was overrated for intoxicated people.

He sat down with her, next to her.

"If I tell you a joke will you be less sad-drunk?"

"I already am 'less sad-drunk.' I wasn't before, but," she took a breath in, "now you're here, so... improvements have been made."

"That's good 'cause I was worried before."

She glanced up at him with brazen eye contact. Her face held a mixture of what looked like a confused and pained expression, as something changed. Some sort of realization or reality check.

She wiped her hands over her face. "God, this is so ridiculous. I'm sorry. You shouldn't be worried about me, that's not your job. I'm sorry. I should just go to bed, and you can leave..."

"I know it's not my job. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I was alright- it... it's not like I was crying at the fire or something. I was fine."

"After your second drink, you were silent almost the entire time."

"You were counting my drinks?"

Not exactly.

"I was paying attention."

"To what?"

To you.

"You completely turned into yourself. Your elbows and legs were drawn in close to your body: unrelaxed and almost apprehensive posture. You were nonverbal, didn't make any jokes, no sarcastic commentary. I was literally purposefully saying things I knew you would correct or tease or laugh at and nothing. I was waiting for a 'smartass' or a 'there's a reason behind everything' explanation or anything science related. But there was nothing."

Her face was blank. It took her a second to catch up. Blinking slowly, she shook her head, eyebrows furrowed, all emphasis on the word. "Why?"

Her tone was truly confused. It was like she, in her heart of hearts, for the life of her, could not believe he was concerned.

"Y/N you're my friend," he chided. "Why wouldn't I be?"

She averted her gaze. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I don't know."

"Look," his voice was soft. "I know you know everything and you know my mannerisms and micro-expressions and you know when I'm lying and whatever else 'cause you're a genius psychologist. But is it really that hard to believe that, after all the time we've known each other, I know you a little too? That I saw you for once instead of you always seein' me?"

"I think you're the only person who sees me."

The words leaked out before he thought to analyze them, tone lower than a whisper.

"Well I can't seem to look at much else."

He had never felt such potent silence. Did he just fuck up majorly? They just sat, on the floor, eyes glued to each other like twenty year old dried cement. He didn't think he could move away if he tried.

"I see you now," she whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"Blue," she breathed. "Your eyes are so blue. I don't... think I've ever seen that shade of blue."

It happened exponentially slowly, but the closer her face got to his, the more his chest felt like it was going to burst in the best way possible. As if liquid light poured into his lungs, inflating his chest and igniting every nerve with adoration.

Her lips hovered over his so lightly it was as if it wasn't even happening, like her affection was a ghost. But it was happening, and he could feel it. He could feel the softness in her lips and the smell of the rum she drank as they combined into the wondrous dual sensation that permeated throughout his brain.

They weren't kissing by any stretch. Their lips were hardly touching. However, in that moment, he was at her mercy. He was prepared to bend the laws of nature to her will if she would allow the continuation of this feeling for even a fraction of a second more.

Until it stopped and she waned away like the moon bidding adieu to the morning sky.

Her voice shook. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't... it's-"

"No. It's not okay. It's not okay."

He leaned back, examining her face. She looked confused and embarrassed and scared.

"Y/N, it's fine. It's okay, seriously, don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry, I'm... I'm drunk and I'm disinhibited and it's affecting my judgement and making me impulsive. I'm sorry."

He couldn't be exactly sure, but it sounded as if she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince him.

Neither of them moved a muscle.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked.

She was silent, frozen. It reminded him of a past conversation about the fight or flight response.

Bucky stood up and offered his hand to the woman sitting on the floor in front of him. "Here."

She took it gingerly and stood up with him before wide eyes stared into his apologetically.

"Please don't feel bad," he pleaded. "Barely anything happened."

"Still..."

"Why don't you just get some sleep and we can talk tomorrow. I promise it won't seem like such a big deal when you're sober."

She nodded but they both remained motionless, hands still together. He knew they needed to let go, but her hand didn't move, and she just kept looking into him.

"Okay," she whispered.

She walked him to the door, hand still in hand, and until he was forced to let go of her to open it. He stepped, ever so slowly, out of her room and onto the grass outside. He looked up at her, the doorway between them suddenly feeling like worlds of distance. They stood on opposite sides of the open door like statues. Bucky didn't know what to do and he wasn't sure what to say.

He settled on a, "Goodnight."

He tried not to make it sound so weak and timorous but he failed entirely. He didn't want to leave her like this. Guilty and alone. God knows he knew what it felt like.

Her voice was dry and quiet. "Goodnight."

He wasn't sure when the door shut or which one of them had shut it. The only thing he was sure of was the feeling of formidable regret pooling in his stomach.

On one hand, there was regret for letting her lean in and get so close because now he was scared that their dynamic was ruined and worried that Y/N felt awful. On the other hand, there was regret that he just let her pull away. Regret that he didn't lean in more and shamelessly drown in her. Regret that he didn't unapologetically suffocate himself with the softness of lips, the inebriating smell of rum on on her tongue, and the utterly bewitching taste of her he was sure would follow.

He wasn't sure what he felt, to be honest. He was a muddle of emotions of which he had no idea how to sift through. Momentarily, he wished he was drunk so he wouldn't have to think so hard. Then, he remembered the saying, "drunk words are sober thoughts," and he was damn glad he was stone cold sober; he could only imagine the things he would say to her if he was drunk.

This lead him to pondering, it got the gears in his brain turning. It made him wonder. Maybe... just maybe... if drunk words were sober thoughts, then what if drunk actions were sober desires?

Thinking like this could cause him read the situation completely differently. Thinking like this could make him read the situation in such a way that conceived the slightest sliver of hope for emotions gone repressed. Hope is dangerous...

Hope is dangerous, so Bucky shoved it down into the deepest cavern of his brain, the very same cavern where his feelings for her resided. It was a monster in a cave, growling and hissing menacingly. Intensely.

It scared him, this intensity. It scared him so much that the only way he could fall asleep was by thinking about the way James Buchanan sounded when she said it with a winsome smile.

delicate taglist: ​@bakugouswh0r3 @thefridgeismybestie @strivingforelegance @ilovespideyyy @xpurpleglitter @bluelakeee @darkacademic2 @nickkie1129 @eclipsedplanet @paradisedixon @crazy-beautiful @coffee--writes @lilithknight1111 @buckybarnesishot310 @softladyhours @alwayssandy @quxxnxfhxll @those-sea-green-eyes @hero-ically @devilswaldorf

[dramaqueeenamby]

Waves: Quarantine

A/N: It's been way too long since I've done something for the Wavesverse, and I apologize deeply. I have a few requests related to this series to complete, but I couldn't knock this idea.

Words: 4K

Warnings: None

Tags: @babe-im-bi @notacamelthatsmywife @missyperle @queenoftheworldisdead @tashawar @valkryienymph @letsshamelessqueen-m @hello-therree @mani-lifes @liquorlaughslove @toni9 @koko-michelle @theequeenofcurses @taylortheeshowpony

Waves

Summer placed her phone inside of the mount and made sure that it was secured before she sat back in her bed, getting comfortable with the mass of pillows supporting her back, and smiling tentatively. “Hi, guys.”

Summer!

Someone tell me this isn’t a joke???? Please???

She lives!

Sis, blink twice if you need help.

Summer rolled her eyes. “Ya’ll better stop. I know it’s been a minute since I’ve hopped on live, but it hasn’t been that damn long.”

Summer continued to read the comments where more than a few people pointed out she hadn’t gone live on Instagram in over three months. Her mouth dropped. “Ya’ll lying. It has not been almost six months, has it?” She placed her hand over her mouth when people started dropping dates in the comments. “Okay, I stand corrected. Damn, I’m sorry, guys.”

Don’t be sorry, bestie. Do better!

Damn, ya’ll are so entitled. Celebrities have lives too.

What life? We all been in quarantine.

Rich people quarantine be different from us poor folks, I guess.

“So that’s actually one of the things I wanted to talk about.” Summer cleared her throat. “And I’m going to try really hard to make sure I word what I want to say as clear and as effective as I can, but I know this is still going to end up as a salacious headline. So, it is what it is.”

Oooh, Summer about to drop some tea.

I don’t see her wedding ring, ya’ll…..

I’m scared omg.

Watch this be nothing but a role announcement.

She shrugged and took a deep breath. “Okay, so a few days ago, I did the Buss It challenge, after being harassed by Sanda. And can I just say that filming was a challenge in and of itself? Not necessarily the movements but preparing? I’ve got two kids, twins, who are like the Tasmanian devil. I was literally up at 3 something in the morning trying to record it because my wild children won’t let me be great.” She chuckled. “Kids are something else.”

Summer truly jumped through hoops and was a damn near acrobat trying to figure out when she could not only get herself done up but actually record the challenge. Being the perfectionist that she was didn’t help, but the fact that she couldn’t recall the last time she’d put on makeup and dressed up was a whole other fiasco.

Quarantine definitely brought out her bum side.

“All of that aside, I truly was satisfied and happy with the final product when I posted it. In hindsight, I should have just left it that, but I wake up every day and choose chaos, so I decided to read the comments.” She blew out a breath. “One of the most frequent comments and really, insults, I’ve received my whole career. Primarily, since I was cast as Storm, revolves around how I look. I.e., my weight. I’ve been called fat, obese, out of shape, and so many other things.”

It was 100% true. The minute Marvel announced that she’d been chosen to play Storm, the racists came all out of the woodworks. She was too short, too chubby, too dark, too black. And Summer didn’t care, not a bit.

“Even,—and I’ll tell you guys this, when I first started my SS training, that’s what I call it, SS for Storm Shape, there was a—person who worked for Marvel at the time who came to visit me while I was training.” She smiled thinking back on that day. She could still recall it so clearly. “He basically was pissed because to him, I still looked the same, fat and out of shape.” She adjusted her top and shifted in her bed. “That same day, I deadlifted and bench-pressed over 200lbs” She paused for effect. “What I need for people to stop doing is stop fucking projecting—and I’m going to cuss in this, so if you don’t like it, oh well. I work for Disney, but I’m a grown ass woman, and I’m going to say what I want.”

I am screaming. Summer said we getting alll the tea today!

So, it’s wrong to point out that someone is physically unhealthy now, cool?

The problem is that no one wants to see a fat superhero. It’s not realistic.

^^^^ Tell me you have a small dick without actually telling me you have a small dick.

“I saw Lizzo, whom I adore, post a Tik Tok where she basically said that she workouts to have the body she wants not what ya’ll want, and honestly? Same. She said that her body type is no one’s fucking business, and that’s so true. Ya’ll love to hop on this internet and pick apart people you don’t even know and criticize bodies you don’t even have to live in and move around with. And for what?” She shook her head, slamming her fist into her open palm as she spoke. She was fully invested now. “I know we in quarantine, but damn, pick another hobby cause being a bully is not it, sweetie.”

I really needed to hear this today.

Using Lizzo as a point of reference makes everything you’re saying null and void. Lizzo is clearly overweight and at risk for diabetes, heart disease, just to name a few…..

I been saying this! You can’t look at a person and say they’re unhealthy.

Bodies come in so many forms, and all are beautiful.

“Now, I bring all this up because a lot of people were commenting on my Buss It challenge and pointing out the fact that I’ve gained weight, and guess fucking what? I have, and you know what else?” She leaned over to whisper while covering her mouth with her hands for focused effect. “I don’t care.”

Summer laughed and shook her head. “As others have pointed out as well, yes, we have a gym in our house. I 1000% acknowledge the fact that having the resources that I do as a celebrity and someone who has money puts me in a different category. Hell, my husband has a whole fitness app. I recognize that. If I wanted to keep up with my workouts, emphasis on wanted, I could have. I own up to that, but I just didn’t feel like it, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is to send and leave mean messages calling me all kinds of names.”

Summer had thick skin. She always had. Growing up with her family, who always ensured to feed her self esteem and make sure she knew that she was beautiful, definitely paid off. It was just a combination of quarantine and not having a lot of opportunities to keep herself busy with work that had her feeling some type of way.

“And that’s something else I wanted to bring up.” She blew out another breath and tried to gather her emotions. This was the subject she was almost certain she’d grow teary eyed discussing. “I love my husband to death. My children are everything. Christopher’s family is like my own, but— I haven’t seen my family, like my mom, grandma, brothers, etc in almost a year.” She paused, dwelling on that. Almost an entire year since she’d been able to physically hug and interact with the people who made her who she was. “And I’ve always made it clear how much I fucking love my family. I live in Australia. I can’t do a drive by with grandma so I and my kids can at least see her on the doorstep.” She quieted again, eyes darting off as she quietly cursed. “I’m trying really hard not to cry right now.”

Please don’t cry, bestie.

This is the side of quarantine that people don’t talk about enough.

Has this woman never heard of FaceTime????

I feel her pain. I live in Europe, and my family is in the states. This quarantine has been brutal.

My grandma died from COVID, and I couldn’t even go to the funeral. Summer is bringing up a good point.

“Damn,” Summer chuckled bitterly and wiped at the tears that fell. “I’m okay, I promise. I just bring this up because quarantine has also been very hard for me in that aspect. At certain points, I’ve been down, I’ve been in my head a lot, and I just was not, for the most part, in a space where I felt like I had to keep up my fitness regimen. And that’s okay. I put my mental wellbeing ahead of making sure my body is socially acceptable. Sue me.”

I really appreciate her honesty.

Summer never goes beyond surface level in interviews, so seeing her this vulnerable is really surprising.

Are we supposed to feel bad for her? She’s rich. She can afford whatever help she needed.

These comments are not passing the vibe check.

Ya’ll are all mental health advocates, but when a black woman is opening up about her struggle, it’s discarded?

“And let me make this clear too, I have an amazing husband who is so patient and so kind. He’s one of the best people I can go to when my anxiety hits, so I don’t want this to come across as me complaining that I’ve been alone. I have him and our children. I just miss the rest of my family. That’s all.” She dried her eyes and started to read the comments, unsurprised by the mixed reaction. She expected as such and was unaffected. At least until she saw one comment.

@ChrisEvans: ❤️❤️❤️

“Evans!” Summer wasn’t expecting to see his name pop up. It’d been such a task convincing him to join IG, let alone teaching him how to operate it. “Let’s go live.”

Not my husband and wife in my head about to go live!!!!

Imagine being able to call Chris Evans your best friend

I still say they smashed idc

It’s Christopher Jamal Evans hopping on this live for me.

^^^ I’m so sick of y’all with that shit.

“Let me try to add him,” Summer spoke to herself, scrolling through the comments to find his so she could request him. “Alright, I requested him. Let’s see if he answers.”

She wondered if she should have sent him a text asking if he was available when he appeared on her screen, effectively splitting it with her on the top and him on the bottom.

“Punk.”

“Kid.”

Summer smiled and greeted, “Hi, best friend.”

He chuckled. “How you doing, Summer?”

“Clearly not as good as the people watching,” she chimed. Summer saw nothing but heart eyes and hearts in the comments. “These people really love you. You truly are a manipulative bastard. He’s an asshole, guys.”

“Don’t be jealous, Summer. It’s so unbecoming of you.”

“You can go to hell.”

“Language,” he playfully reprimanded. “Where are the kids?”

“At preschool. Things are finally starting to open back up over here. Thank God.” She clasped her hands together. “Y’all, please wear masks. Don’t be Karen’s.”

Chris laughed, grabbing his chest. “We’re getting there, Summer.”

“The lies you tell,” she countered. “Don’t A Starting Point, me. Ya’ll are far from getting there, and I’m tired of it. I wanna see my family.”

He sighed. “I know, but how are you feeling today?”

“I got rid of the kids, so that’s definitely a weight lifted,” she answered honestly, laughing when she saw judgmental comments in the chat. “Listen, if you’re a parent, you know where I’m coming from. You love your kids, but my god, sometimes you just need some space.”

“As soon as this all blows over, I told you to send em’ by me for a couple of weeks.”

“Best friend, I already purchased their tickets.” He laughed. “As soon as I get the green light, they are all yours. Feel free to keep them.”

“You guys see how she is?” He pointed to Summer, leaning and squinting to read what was being said. “I do love kids, especially the twins, they’re amazing.”

“He is really really great with them, guys,” Summer added. “One thing about Evans, he’s patient as hell and really, just a big kid. Why do you think him and Christopher get along so well? 40 going on 4.”

“I resent that.”

“Is it a lie though?”

He hesitated. “No.” They both laughed.

I’m loving the dynamic between these two so much.

Is it just me or are they flirting with each other…..

Ain’t nothing inappropriate about this conversation. Ya’ll are reaching…

Ya’ll remember that blind item that came out years ago alleging Chris (Evans) was the biological father of the twins? Hmm…..

^^^^^This kind of bullshit is the reason we’re in a global pandemic.

As always, Summer and Evans ignored any foolery that was being dropped in the comments when she caught a comment that didn’t contain some ridiculous rumor.

“Yes, it is true that Evans and Christopher weren’t allowed to do press together anymore. Ya’ll, they literally could not stay serious for more than a minute. I felt so bad for the poor interviewers.”

“Hey, we were not that bad,” Evans protested, his Boston accent more prominent.

She gasped. “You guys were terrible, Evans, and you know it. I was so mad when they put me with ya’ll those few times. I could barely hear the interviewers over your laughing and stupid commentary that literally no one asked for.”

“We did not.”

“There’s deadass video proof, Evans.”

“Fake news.”

She opened her mouth but caught herself. “I was about to say something.”

He laughed and asked, “Do you remember how we all got drunk before the Infinity War premiere?”

“No, ya’ll got drunk. I was big and pregnant, remember?”

“No,” he dismissed. “You were drinking with us.”

“Evans, how was I drinking when I was pregnant?” She challenged and reminded. “I got drunk with ya’ll for the Endgame premiere, not Infinity War.”

“That’s right,” he remembered and chuckled. “You think we’ll get in trouble for saying this?”

She shrugged with one shoulder. “You’re dead, Christopher never gets in trouble for anything, and I do what I want. I think we’re good.”

Kevin Feige watching this live right now like 🥴🥴🥴🥴

I never realized how arrogant she is……

LMAO. Not the whole cast showing up drunk to the biggest premiere of their lives.

Chris Evans is too damn fine to be approaching 40 and still single.

Their friendship is so goals omg

@ChrisHemsworth: Snitches

Summer’s jaw dropped as she caught the last comment, swiping up to click the name and make sure that she was reading correctly. “Christopher, what the hell are you doing on my live?”

Evans brows furrowed. “Hemmy is here? Shouldn’t he be working?”

“That’s what I want to know,” Summer supplied. “And how long have you been watching?”

@ChrisHemsworth: Long enough.

She smiled nervously and looked off to the side. “I feel weird now. I don’t like when he watches my lives.”

“Aren’t you guys married?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be shutting the fuck up?”

Evans lifted his hands in a defensive manner. “Touchy subject, I see.” They shared another laugh as he cleared his throat. “Why don’t you add him now? I’m supposed to be helping Scott cook.”

“My favorite Evans,” she gushed and furrowed her brows. “You, cooking? Since when?”

“Get out of here.” He waved her off and reminded. “I’m not the one who constantly causes near fires when in the kitchen.”

“So, you really just putting all my business out there like that?”

“Summer, it’s not secret to anyone that you can’t cook for shit.”

“Wow, it really be your own best friends.”

He chuckled. “Love you, kid.”

“Love you too, punk,” she blew a kiss. “I’ll text ya’ later.”

“Alright.” He smiled for the camera. “Thanks for having me everyone.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she said jokingly. Evans and Summer said goodbye one last time before he left the live. She blew out a breath and ran her hand through her hair. “Baby, comment something so I can add you. It’s too many comments to wade through.”

Summer adjusted her phone and checked the time on the clock on the wall. It’d been a while since the kids were away at school, and she didn’t want to get so caught up that she was late picking them up.

@ChrisHemsworth: I can’t. I’m too drunk.

Summer released a mixture of a laugh and a snort reading his comment. “You are so damn petty.” She clicked his name and adjusted her outfit while waiting for him to answer. She almost cursed when it seemed like he wasn’t going to join, only for her to smile when his face appeared on her screen.

“Hi,” she greeted in a soft voice with a small smile.

“Hello, Sandcastle.”

“Did you just—I swear to god, it’s always something with you.” Summer rubbed her temples and shook her head. Christopher smiled in response. “Why aren’t you working?”

“I am.”

“You are?”

“Yes.”

“If you’re working, how are you talking to me?” She asked, sassily.

“Umm, a little thing called multitasking, ever heard of it?”

“Wow. You are an asshole.”

“That’s mean.”

“You’re mean.”

“Christopher, you are literally a child.”

“Does a child have muscles like this?” He flexed, and Summer stilled. Christopher stayed in ridiculous shape, but this was another level. He’d never been this massive, and she wasn’t too proud to admit that. Just not aloud.

She faked a yawn. “Am I supposed to be impressed?”

They really just be roasting each other all the time, and I’m here for it.

Summer must be legally blind because this man is stupid fine tf

It’s gotta be steroids. That’s not natural.

^^^^^He’s the god of thunder.

Summer rolled her eyes at the typical nature of the comments. These were the reasons she limited her time on social media and especially stayed away from reading the comments. Her attention was redirected to the top of her phone. It was a text from Christopher asking her to call him.

“But we’re—oh, I get it.” She realized he wanted to talk to her, not her and her tens of millions of followers. “Alright, guys, I’m gonna get off here so I can talk to my husband, alone.”

“She just doesn’t want to share me with you all, that’s all.”

“Don’t even start, Christopher,” she lectured while he laughed and got serious, for a minute tops.

“Hope you all are taking care and staying safe,” he spoke honestly. “And we’ll talk to you soon.”

Summer waved and smile. “Bye, guys. Remember to be kind.” Summer offered a final smile before ending the live. Closing up the app, she moved to open FaceTime and called up Christopher. He answered almost immediately. “You know I hate when you watch my Lives. Now, how much did you see?”

“Enough to know you’re coming to see me tonight.”

She laughed aloud. “Funny.”

“I’m serious, Summer.” Focusing on him, she realized that there was no humor in his voice nor his expression. Summer also noticed that he didn’t have the Thor wig on yet, which was probably why he was able to go live with her. He was waiting to get into hair and makeup. “Leave the kids with Liam. It’s not like he’s doing anything.”

“Christopher!”

“What? Is he not a professional unemployed bastard.”

Summer’s smile remained as she shook her head. “You are so mean.”

“I’ll handle the flight arrangements. You, my beautiful wife, just make sure you get on the jet so I can handle you.”

“Christopher, you’re working. People with everyday jobs don’t just up and show up to their spouses workplace because they miss them or need a break from the kids. That’s how folks get fired.”

Christopher started to move around, walking somewhere, she realized. “What are you doing?”

“Hey, Tike.”

Summer’s eyes widened slightly. “Christoper!”

“Sup, man?” Taika asked casually, as Summer laughed again. Taika Waititi was such a character.

“You mind if Summer comes up for a few days?”

“Sure, man,” he replied almost right away. “Bring the kids and chickens too.”

“I am not bringing those damn chickens,” she immediately protested.

Christopher made a sound. “Ha, so you are coming!”

“I didn’t say that.”

Taika joined Christopher so that he was in camera. “Hey, Summer, why don’t you come on join? You can have a cameo. Chickens, too.”

She rubbed her temples. Taika’s and Chris’s friendship would never not make sense to her. They were cut from the same cloth. “One, hey. Two, I was already in Ragnarok. I’m good on the cameos. Three, what is with ya’ll and those creepy looking chickens?”

“Whoa, creepy? What did the chickens ever do?”

“Exist,” Summer answered dryly. She still hadn’t forgiven Evans and Christopher for convincing her to let the kids keep those damn things. Her home was becoming more and more of a farm with each animal that joined the household.

“Tough crowd, that one, ehh?”

“Always,” Christopher agreed.

“I can hear you both,” she reminded and groaned loudly. Summer would love to spend a few days away from the kids. Chris would be working, yes, but she’d at least get some time for herself. Even better, alone adult time with her husband. That had also been a bit tricky during quarantine because of her rambunctious twins. Still, she disliked using her status as a celebrity to gain things, and this would definitely be a case of using status for pull. “I don’t know….”

Deep in her thoughts, she hadn’t realized that Chris had walked away and returned to wherever he was prior to finding Taika, most likely his trailer.

“What if you only stayed a night?” Chris tried to bargain. “The flight is only an hour and a half. That will give you more than enough time to come here, let me fix you dinner, run you a nice bath, maybe get in the good ole’ horizontal tango—”

“You know I hate when you call it that,” she reminded quietly, admitting. “That does sound nice, though.”

“Or, I can come to you—“

“Absolutely not. Christopher, you’re already doing so much back and forth as it is.” One of the good things to come out of quarantine, to Summer at least, was that it forced many people to take a much needed break. Her husband was one of those people. Christopher had been working nonstop since she met him. Project after project, film after film, many of them Marvel films, which put a whole other layer of difficulty what with the strenuous physical requirements. Even now as he shot Thor 4, he was in the best shape he’d ever been, muscles nearly tearing the cotton of his clothes. He looked amazing, but it was what they couldn’t see that she was starting to grow a little concerned over. Christopher wasn’t as young as he once was. He had to slow down, eventually.

Summer realized this would be a perfect chance to have a conversation about just that with him, which all but led her to her final decision.

“Alright,” she conceded, finger up as she made her demands. “Three days, and I stay at the house while you shoot. We may be returning to normal, but we’re still in a pandemic. I won’t go around anyone except you.”

“So I get you all to myself? Hardly consider that a stipulation.”

“And…we talk.”

“After the horizontal tango—“

“I swear to God, if you don’t stop calling it that—“

“What was that, sweetheart? I wasn’t listening.” She saw that he had paused the screen, causing Summer to remember that she hadn’t even consulted with the babysitter. “Making flight arrangements for you.”

“Shit, let me text Liam and make sure he’s available.”

“He gets reception in the box?”

“Christopher! For the last time, your brother is not living in a box.”

“Do you know that for certain?”

“Goodbye, Christopher,” she prepared to end the call before smiling softly. “I love you, Christopher, and thank you.”

He winked. “I’ll always do anything for you, Summer. Anything.” A beat. “Don’t forget to leave the clothes. You won’t need them.”

“Christopher!”